Soft drinks will no longer be sold in vending machines, cafes and catering services in NSW health facilities by the end of the year as the State Government seeks to reduce obesity rates.
NSW Health said healthier options would be offered as part of a wider strategy aimed at staff.
Visitors will still be free to bring soft drinks onto the premises.
The department said NSW was the first state to phase out sugary drinks, and there are expectations other states will follow suit.
Australian Beverages Council CEO Geoff Parker has called the policy a "nanny state approach" that will not solve the obesity problem.
"From the last Australian Health Survey, the department would know that soft drinks contribute less than two per cent of the average person's daily kilojoule intake," he said.
"It’s confusing why NSW Health has focused on the two per cent and the eighth-ranked treat item, yet seemingly ignored everything else people eat and drink.
"In 2017, a smart department like NSW Health should be leading the way, not applying band-aid solutions to a complex public health problem like overweight and obesity."
