Assembly
committee OKs anti-sugar bill
Measure would ban sale of sugary sodas,
candies at elementary, middle schools.
Tuesday, September 14, 2004 • By TERRENCE DOPP
• The Express-Times
TRENTON -- Call it the Sugar-Free School Zone.
As a way to combat rising obesity rates among the
state's youth, lawmakers are looking to ban the sale of junk
food and sodas in school vending machines and cafeterias
until 30 minutes after the end of school.
According to one lawmaker, more than half of all
districts have the machines and now regulate their contents
locally.
The prohibition would cover all candy, gum and drinks
consisting of more than 35 percent sugar or other sweetener
and more than eight grams of fat per serving.
"This is an epidemic right now. There are some things
that can be done now, that are upfront. And this is one of
them," said Stephen Rice, a physician and chairman of
government affairs for the New Jersey chapter of the
American Academy of Pediatrics.
Members of the Assembly Education Committee on Thursday
approved the bill 8-0 after a lengthy hearing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated
up to 15 percent of Americans between 6 and 17 are obese or
dangerously overweight. Because the size of children varies,
the National Institutes of Health recommend consulting a
health care professional for a diagnosis.
Scientists have linked the condition to increased
incidences of heart disease, stroke and Type 2, or adult
onset, diabetes. These conditions in turn lead to higher
health care costs, lowered standard of living and shorter
life expectancy.
Proponents of the legislation see vending machines
dispensing soft drinks and candy as a prime avenue for
sugary foods to land in children's hands. It would make the
sales forbidden until at least 30 minutes after the end of
the school day in all elementary and middle schools in New
Jersey.
Gone would be cola, super-sweetened iced teas and
sugar-rich snack foods and candy, under the
legislation.
Its backers envision machines stocked with healthy items
such as milk, sports drinks, vegetable snacks, juice and
fruit whole-grain or enriched grain products.
But the soft drink industry is causing quite a fuss over
the proposal.
The real problem, they maintain, is children who have
grown more sedentary, eat more and engage in less physical
activity to counteract high fat foods.
"It is legislation like this that continues to
perpetuate that legend. The problem of obesity is many-fold.
It's a fact as Americans we are eating more than we are
burning up," said Barbara McConnell, a lobbyist for the
Coca-Cola Co. and the New Jersey Soft Drink
Association.
According to one CDC estimate, one in four American
children gets less than 20 minutes of sustained exercise
each day.
McConnell argued New Jersey's school boards annually
recoup millions of dollars each year through the ubiquitous
machines, saving taxpayers money.
She also argued school boards in New Jersey's 611
districts should decide what goes in the machines, not the
state Legislature.
At one point, members of the Assembly panel -- which
included two physicians -- questioned McConnell's reliance
on industry-funded studies.
"We give people what they want. Essentially the message
the legislation is sending is that soft drinks are culpable,
which is untrue. And this takes away local control,"
McConnell said. At one point she urged committee members to
"look at orange juice and at milk. It's got sugar."
One state official said exercise and proper dietary
choices are the keys, but said banning soda and candy in
school would be a good start.
"To reverse this epidemic we have to change our behavior
and the behavior of our children," said Carolyn Holmes, a
deputy commissioner of the Department of Health and Senior
Services.
She said children born in 2000 are the first Americans
expected to live shorter lives than their parents.
Assemblywoman Linda Stender, D-Union, said the problem
is a national phenomenon.
"The vending machines are where kids can get soft
drinks, soda and other drinks that are essentially liquid
sugar," she said. "I think we have to start some
place."
Terrence Dopp is Trenton correspondent for The
Express-Times. He can be reached at 609-292-5154 or by
e-mail at tdopp@sjnewsco.com.
Copyright 2004 The
Express-Times. Used with permission.
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