Soda gets the axe in Canada school crackdown
TORONTO, Ontario (Reuters) -- Canadian kids will learn in low-Coke zones next year, as soft drinks companies pull carbonated soft drinks off the shelves in elementary and middle schools, officials said Tuesday.
Responding to concern about poor diets and increasingly fat children, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. will stock cafeterias and vending machines with water and fruit juice, rather than with high-calorie carbonated drinks, a group representing both companies said.
"We're restricting choice," said Calla Farn, a spokeswoman for the industry group, Refreshments Canada.
"We're responding to the desire to change (soft drink) offerings, especially in the elementary school environment where children are not equipped to make appropriate food and beverage choices."
Farn said the companies decided to act after meeting with educators, parents and nutritionists. The change takes effect in September, ready for the start of the next school year.
Half the products in elementary and middle school vending machines will be water and pure fruit juice, while noncarbonated juice and sports drinks will make up the rest.
But high school students -- children old enough to make decisions -- will still be able to buy carbonated soft drinks, she said.
Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy said he was pleased the companies were recognizing elementary schools as "no-go zones" for unhealthy drinks.
"In the last few years the schools have been pushed into boundaries where they instinctively knew things were wrong," he said, referring to contracts with soft-drink makers to sell goods on school premises.
"We don't want to be teaching one thing at home or in a classroom and then walk out in the hallway and have a contradiction." [/quote]
?good to see Canada implement sound public policy concerning elementary-aged children; given the obesity rates of American children, I would like to see this implemented south of the border. If they removed soda from older children, say at the high school level, I would be upset, given the matter of choice. But when you have 5-10 year olds running around with an extra 50-60 pounds, clearly they are not rational, autonomous agents of their domain.
TORONTO, Ontario (Reuters) -- Canadian kids will learn in low-Coke zones next year, as soft drinks companies pull carbonated soft drinks off the shelves in elementary and middle schools, officials said Tuesday.
Responding to concern about poor diets and increasingly fat children, Coca-Cola Co. and PepsiCo Inc. will stock cafeterias and vending machines with water and fruit juice, rather than with high-calorie carbonated drinks, a group representing both companies said.
"We're restricting choice," said Calla Farn, a spokeswoman for the industry group, Refreshments Canada.
"We're responding to the desire to change (soft drink) offerings, especially in the elementary school environment where children are not equipped to make appropriate food and beverage choices."
Farn said the companies decided to act after meeting with educators, parents and nutritionists. The change takes effect in September, ready for the start of the next school year.
Half the products in elementary and middle school vending machines will be water and pure fruit juice, while noncarbonated juice and sports drinks will make up the rest.
But high school students -- children old enough to make decisions -- will still be able to buy carbonated soft drinks, she said.
Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy said he was pleased the companies were recognizing elementary schools as "no-go zones" for unhealthy drinks.
"In the last few years the schools have been pushed into boundaries where they instinctively knew things were wrong," he said, referring to contracts with soft-drink makers to sell goods on school premises.
"We don't want to be teaching one thing at home or in a classroom and then walk out in the hallway and have a contradiction." [/quote]
?good to see Canada implement sound public policy concerning elementary-aged children; given the obesity rates of American children, I would like to see this implemented south of the border. If they removed soda from older children, say at the high school level, I would be upset, given the matter of choice. But when you have 5-10 year olds running around with an extra 50-60 pounds, clearly they are not rational, autonomous agents of their domain.