New York's City Council may ban sale of sugary soft drinks and snacks in schools

Food & Drink Weekly, Nov 18, 2002

A proposed bill may ban the sale of soft drinks and junk food in New York's public schools. The bill, which will be introduced by City Council members David Yassky and Christine Quinn, wishes to se the back of sales of certain snacks until after the end of the school day, replacing them instead with healthier options.

Current "unhealthy" snacks can be sold after the end of the last lunch period. It follows similar rulings in other U.S. states, including a carbonated soft drink ban in schools in the Los Angeles County after health concerns prompted school officials to pass a measure that will phase out the sale of sugar-laden soft drinks to its 748,0000 students by 2004. "I don't think the city of New York needs to be a food dictator," Yassky said at a news conference. "But we should not be in the business of pushing soda and candy at kids 24 hours a day."