Unhealthy Food, Drink Ban Wise
For the News-Register
POSTED: November 19, 2007
Among important lessons we hope our public schools help us to teach children are that certain substances are not good for them. But what is a child to think when he is told in class that high-fat foods, too much sugar and caffeine are not good for him — then finds those very things obtainable easily in a hallway vending machine?
State education officials are considering new policies that would ban certain types of foods and drinks from public schools. We have little doubt that school officials in a few counties will battle the proposal. They will argue that such an edict infringes upon local control of schools — and that it is bad for the bottom line.
By that we mean that some schools receive substantial amounts of income from vending machine receipts. It is not uncommon for a large school to bring in tens of thousands of dollars by selling soft drinks, sugary snacks, etc. Some school officials argue that without that income, they would have to reduce the quality of their programs.
That is nonsense, of course. In comparison to the multi-million-dollar budgets of some schools, $10,000 or $20,000 isn’t much. Surely there are ways to provide that much funding without victimizing children.
The “local control” argument also is flawed. During recent years, virtually every aspect of public school operations has come under the firm control of state and federal education agencies. That is not necessarily a good thing, in some regards, but it is a fact of life.
Removing unhealthy food and drink products from school vending machines makes sense from several standpoints. First, it sets a good example for students. Second, it makes unhealthy food and drinks less accessible to the youngsters. And finally, by replacing unhealthy foods and drinks with healthy ones, it may get some children into the habit of choosing more wisely outside the school environment.
We agree, then, with state school officials who are considering a ban — such as that already in effect in many counties — on sale of unhealthy foods and drinks in public schools.
