The board of the United States’ second-largest school district has voted unanimously to extend the ban on carbonated soft drinks to all its schools in an effort to combat childhood obesity.
An audience of about 100 people burst into applause as the ban was adopted after 2 1/2 hours of debate on Tuesday. It will take effect in January 2004.
Board member Julie Korenstein, who co-sponsored the measure, said it was needed to fight obesity among students. But a soda industry official complained that banning drinks isn’t the solution.
”Physical education and physical activity are by far, more important in combating obesity than banning soft drinks from students’ diets,” said Sean McBride, a spokesman for the National Soft Drink Association.
He added: ”In the end, this is really about the couch and not the can.”
Los Angeles Unified District, which has 748 000 students on its 677 campuses, already prohibited carbonated drink sales at elementary schools. The new measure extends the ban to the district’s approximately 200 middle and high schools. It only takes effect during school hours.
Still permitted during school hours are water, milk, beverages with at least 50% fruit juice and sports drinks with less than 42 grams of sugar per 20-ounce serving.
Many Los Angeles Unified schools rely on soda sales to fund student activities such as sports and field trips. Sodas sold in vending machines and student stores generate an annual average profit of $39 000 per high school and $14 000 per middle school.
In California, an estimated 30% of children are overweight or at risk of being overweight, according to the California Centre for Public Health Advocacy.
A study last year by Massachusetts researchers concluded that drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks increased the chance of childhood obesity. Some other studies have failed to find any link. – Sapa-AP