SCHOOL FOOD ENVIRONMENT
ENACT STRATEGY: Eliminate Beverage Contracts
Eliminate exclusive beverage contracts that require the marketing of unhealthy beverages
Exclusive beverage contracts often require a certain number of vending machines, a minimum volume of sales, and/or in-school advertising of high sugar beverages. The availability of high-sugar, caffeinated beverages may be contributing to childhood overweight and obesity; children who consume one extra soft drink a day have a 60 percent greater chance of becoming obese. The good news is that although there still remains much work to be done, more parents and school districts are successfully defeating these exclusive beverage contracts across the country without substantial loses in revenues (it is important to remember that the vast majority of revenue garnered form the sale of sodas, for example, come from the students purchasing these sodas, not from the beverage company itself).
Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health
Summary page from The Center for Science in the Public Interest's report on the harmful effects of soft drink consumption. Also includes link to the full report.
The Negative Effects of Soda Consumption (PDF)
Fact sheet from The California Center for Public Health Advocacy on the reasons for decreasing soda and sweetened beverage consupmtion.
Soda Ban
“On August 27, 2002, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board unanimously voted to ban soft drinks in all LAUSD schools, beginning January 2004. This report provides a summary of the events that preceded and led to the passage of the LAUSD soda resolution and its implications for future action.”
Los Angeles Unified School District Healthy Beverage Definition
The Los Angeles Unified School District created the Allowable Healthy Beverage List in an effort to reduce availability of high-sugar drinks of minimal nutritional value.
Taking the Fizz out of Soda Contracts: A Guide to Community Action
California Project LEAN (Leaders Encouraging Activity& Nutrition) developed this guide to help individuals or groups of people trying to combat school district soft drink contracts.
Soft Drinks and School-Age Children: Trends Effects, Solutions
“This kit provides a planned approach to address the issue of soft drinks in schools. It is full of strategies and resources to help you enhance your school nutrition environment.”
California SB 965: High School Soda Ban
This bill defined school beverage standards for high schools, eliminating the sale of soda and other sweetened beverages on high school campuses in California. Half of the beverages sold on high school campuses were to meet these standards by July 1, 2007, and all beverages sold on high school campuses must meet these standards by July 1, 2009.
Seattle School Board Bans Soda on Campus
In 2004, the Seattle School Board included in its comprehensive suite of nutrition policies, the prohibition of contracts with beverage vendors for "exclusive pouring rights." The exclusive contract the Board had at the time with Coca-Cola was ordered to be phased out within one year.
Los Angeles Unified School District Healthy Beverage Resolution
This resolution prohibits the sale of soda in vending machines, student stores, and cafeterias at LAUSD school sites by voiding existing contracts and prohibiting new beverage contracts which are out of compliance with the resolution.
California SB 677: The California Childhood Obesity Prevention Act of 2003 (PDF)
Summary of the legislation that ensures that only healthy beverages are sold on elementary, middle and junior high school campuses, beginning on July 1, 2004.
School Beverage Contracts: SB 65 (PDF)
Prohibits school boards from entering into exclusive or non-exclusive contracts for advertising or the sale of carbonated beverages, non-nutritious beverages or non-nutritious food unless a policy is adopted after a public hearing to ensure that the district has internal controls in place regarding the expenditure of public funds.
in ENACT Local Policy Database
Raw Deal: School Beverage Contracts Less Lucrative Than They Seem
This report by The Center for Science in the Public Interest and The Public Health Advocacy Institute is the first national study of school beverage contracts. By looking at 120 school beverage contracts, the researchers found that in most cases, the revenue generated by soft drink sales in schools is modest and could be replaced by the sale of healthier beverages.
Prevalence and Specifics of District-wide Beverage Contracts in California’s Largest School Districts: Findings and Recommendations (PDF)
“In light of the increased media, political, and public attention surrounding soft drink sales in public schools, the California Endowment commissioned an examination of this issue in California. This qualitative analysis examines the prevalence and specifics of district-wide contracts with soft drink companies in California’s 25 largest public school districts.”
Liquid Candy: How Soft Drinks are Harming Americans' Health (PDF)
The full report by The Center for Science in the Public Interest looks at the nutritional and health impact of soft drinks and examines the implications of the aggressive marketing tactics used by soft drink companies. The report also includes recommendations for action.