The Global Failure To Disclose Carcinogenic Contaminants In Bottled Drinks Sold To Children

Ross E. Getman, Esq. DC and NYS bars (email)

Source: The Post-Standard (Syracuse, NY), Dec 17, 2003 pA19.

Title: SCHOOLS SELL OUT KIDS WITH SODA "POURING RIGHTS'; SHAPING

UP.(Editorial)(Letter to the Editor)(Editorial)

Electronic Collection: CJ111369051

RN: CJ111369051

Full Text COPYRIGHT 2003 All rights reserved. Reproduced with the permission

of The Herald Co. by the Gale Group, Inc.

To the Editor:

The series on schools and obesity did not mention the role played by soda

"pouring rights" agreements in our schools. Nor did it mention that the

nationwide scheme promoting the sale of soda was launched here in 1998 when

Coca-Cola's political influence was put ahead of our children's health.

In research published in the current issue of the Journal of Obesity Research

("The Sweetening of the World's Diet"), researchers at the University of North

Carolina School of Public Health in Chapel Hill found that, on average, 80

percent of the additional calories consumed in added sugar comes from soft

drinks and sugary fruit drinks - and that most of that is consumed by young

people. Schools should stop promoting soda through illegal, exclusive,

long-term, no-bid contracts that require a company sell soda even before it is

allowed to compete to sell healthy beverages. The state of Maine's Education

Department recently announced it will be ridding all of its public schools of

soda. New York City, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Buffalo already have done

so.

It is time for the leaders in the Syracuse-area school districts and

throughout the country to get active.

Ross E. Getman

Syracuse