Sodas to Go Off Campus in Connecticut
The Democrat majority State Legislature in Connecticut has passed a law that would put a restriction on the sales of sodas in the campus, right from the elementary school through the middle schools to the high schools, to initiate a fight against the rising cases of obesity among teenagers in the United States.
Governor Jedi Rell said that the bill, which puts a ban on the sale of all regular and diet Pepsis and Cokes along with other electrolyte replacement drinks in the school premises, would enable Connecticut to become the 4th sate in the US with a strong policy towards reducing the protruding bellies of the American teenagers. However, the bill, which would become a law from July, permits the sale of sodas at concession stands after school hours and on weekends. Students are also allowed to bring their own soda packs from home.
Though the bill met with heavy oppositions from the Republicans, ensuing into a high decibel five hour debate, with the Republican state Rep. David Labriola strongly emphasizing that the decision be best left to the individual educational boards, the Democrats walked away victorious by getting the bill approved.
The Democrats argued that more than a third of the American teenagers are obese, making it all the more vital for such a law to be enforced. Officials of PepsiCo Inc and Coca Cola Co., the biggest players in the soft drink market cannot be reached for comments.
Source: news.yahoo.com, May 2, 2006 |
