HEFEI, March 28 -- East China's Anhui Province has passed legislation to ban kindergartens medicating kids after recent scandals involving several Chinese kindergartens illegally feeding antiviral drugs to children.

Announcing the move at a press conference on Friday, the provincial legislature said this legislation is part of the Provincial Preschool Education Regulation, which was approved at a meeting of the Standing Committee of Anhui Provincial People's Congress. It prohibits kindergartens and working staff from feeding medicines to groups of children without approval.

In cases of kindergartens breaking the new regulation, punishments will be given to people in charge of the schools. In serious violations, the offending kindergartens will be closed. If the case constitutes a crime, criminal responsibilities shall be affixed.

"This is the first such legislation in Anhui, and very likely the first in China," said Wu Bin, an official with the Commission for Legislative Affairs of Anhui Provincial People's Congress Standing Committee.

Recently, kindergartens in northwest China's Shaanxi and Gansu provinces, northeastern Jilin and central Hubei have admitted giving children antiviral drugs, stirring public outcry. Chinese parents have demanded all efforts to prevent such incidents occurring again.