Soda, soft drink, pop. Whatever name you have for it, it all has the same common ingredient--sugar. Sugar and caffeine combined make for an enjoyable and refreshing drink that gives the impression of a thirst-quencher, but you are often getting more than you paid for. Schools are becoming passionate about making sure their kids know this negative aspect and are providing ways to avoid them.
School systems in Portland took the step of banning sodas from being sold in the vending machines. In the Letters to the Editor section of the The Portland Press Herald, one reader made the comment that the government is taking away a degree of freedom of choice when controlling what drinks students are permitted to buy at school. In a sense I would agree with this reader because America is founded on freedom, and part of that freedom is being able to live in a way that we desire to live even if it may not be the healthiest for us.
On the other hand, it would be beneficial to teach kids how to say no to those types of drinks and encourage that in a healthy way. In Austin, Texas an elementary school is hosting a 'No Soda Challenge' that students and families can choose to be a part of. While there is no soda available for purchase at the elementary school, it is a fun and encouraging, yet non-forceful, way to push kids into a healthier lifestyle. I think there still needs to be that degree of freedom on whether or not a kid is able to drink soda, but that choice should not be made by the government but by the parents of those kids.
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