Connecticut House of Representatives approves bill to ban sales of all sodas in schools

The Connecticut House of Representatives in a narrow 76 to 71 vote has approved a bill that will ban the sale of all sodas and sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade, in public schools. As of July 1, 2006, only healthy drinks, such as water, milk and 100% fruit juice, will be sold in vending machines and school cafeterias. Governor M. Jodi Rell, who supported the bill, says she will sign it. The bill survived a feverish lobbying campaign from both Coca-Cola and Pepsi. "It says you can take on a $1 billion junk-food industry, and you can win," says Senate President Pro Tem Donald Williams, who was the bill's chief proponent. "We've taken a huge step forward. It sends a powerful message to other states." When Connecticut's new school-nutrition law is enacted it will be even stricter than California's, the toughest signed so far nationwide. The California law, which will not take full effect until 2009, does not ban sports drinks such as Gatorade or Powerade. In addition, it does not mandate 100% fruit juice, as Connecticut's does, on its list of healthy drinks. Supporters of the bill applaud it as a key first step toward improving nutrition and ending childhood obesity. Meanwhile, opponents criticize the measure as feel-good legislation that does nothing to stop schools from selling other fatty foods, such as French fries and cheeseburgers. They also point out the bill does not prevent students from bringing soda and potato chips to school in their own lunches. Although the bill spells out in detail what drinks may be sold in schools, it does not mandate a similar list of banned junk food products. As a result, the bill does not automatically ban candy and junk food from vending machines. However, supporters of the bill point out it does not require a detailed list of banned junk foods because the state education department has published a list of healthy snacks that will be updated each year as new products come on the market, and the bill also offers a financial incentive to stock healthy foods. Supporters also note the bill sets aside up to $4.7 million to triple the amount of money paid to school districts for nutritious lunches.

[Editor’s Note: The placement of soda/soft drinks in public schools has become a focal point those who are advocating eliminating childhood obesity and diabetes. In addition to legislative efforts to remove the vending machines, some advocates have resorted to litigation. For an example of such a suit, access the link below.]
[NSBA School Law pages on Center for Science in the Public Interest plans suit over soda product placement in public schools]