News Releases & Statements

American Beverage Association Statement on California Governors Signing of Legislation Restricting Beverage Sales in High Schools

CONTACT:    

Kathleen Dezio
202-463-6772

Tracey Halliday
202-463-6705

ABA President Susan Neely Discusses Governor's Decision
(Displays in Windows Media Player )

In response to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s decision today to sign Senate Bill 965, legislation imposing restrictions on beverages sold to high school students on school grounds from 30 minutes beforeschool until 30 minutes after school, Susan K. Neely, president and chief executive officer of the American Beverage Association (ABA) said:

“While we agree with the Governor on the need to address childhood obesity in California, we believe this complex problem would be more effectively addressed by educating students on the importance of living a balanced lifestyle, consuming a variety of foods and beverages in moderation, and exercising every day—not by imposing the unnecessary restrictions mandated by Senate Bill 965.

The beverage industry is already doing its part to promote healthy lifestyles for children by partnering with parents, community leaders and school officials to provide beverage choices that are tailored by grade. In fact, the beverage industry has implemented a new school vending policy for high schools which is less restrictive than the measure signed by the Governor today. The ABA policy recommends that vending machines in high schools provide a variety of beverage choices, including bottled water, dairy-based beverages, sports drinks, 100 percent juices and juice drinks. The policy recommends that no more than 50 percent of the total vending machine selections in high schools will be soft drinks.

Most Americans believe high school students should have a wider range of beverage choices available to them. In a recent nationwide poll of 800 adults, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of ABA, 77 percent of those surveyed favored the beverage industry’s new school vending policy. Yet this legislation prohibits all soft drinks, including diet drinks and even low-calorie juices, in high schools.

We believe California schools and students would have been better served by allowing them to make their own choices at the local level.  High school students should be able to enjoy a wide range of beverages, including regular soft drinks. Additionally, as our nation struggles with obesity, California high school students should have access to diet soft drinks and lower-calorie juice drinks, but will be denied those choices under the new legislation.  This prohibition against no-calorie sweeteners will also stifle beverage industry innovation and prevent California students from benefiting from a new generation of zero- and low-calorie beverages.

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The American Beverage Association is the trade association representing the broad spectrum of companies that manufacture and distribute non-alcoholic beverages in the United States.

To view ABA’s video news release using Windows Media Player, please visit www.ameribev.org.  

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