Motion to Promote Healthy Beverage Sales in the LAUSD
Marlene Canter, Genethia Hayes, Julie Korenstein
Whereas, The Los Angeles Unified School District has a strong interest and obligation in promoting the health of children, which leads to better attendance, improved behavior, lower incidence of illness, and increased attention, creativity, and academic achievement;
Whereas, Child obesity has increased two-fold over the past two decades and adolescent obesity has increased three-fold, a 1998 UCLA survey of 900 students in 14 District elementary schools found that 40 percent were obese, and, research has shown that an extra soft drink a day increases a child's risk for obesity by 60 percent;
Whereas, Overweight and obese children are at higher risks for long-term health problems such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, asthma, and certain cancers;
Whereas, A Harvard School of Public Health study of ninth and tenth grade girls found that those who drank colas were three times more likely to develop bone fractures than those who did not, and among physically active girls, those who drank colas were five times more likely to break bones than those who did not;
Whereas, A 2000 report for the District's Student Health and Human Services found that over 25 percent of children in Los Angeles County are uninsured and, thus, do not have access to preventative health care, creating an even greater need for healthy alternatives in schools;
Whereas, The availability of competitive foods and beverages in schools undercuts participation in national school meal programs and undermines health and nutrition education provided to students; and
Whereas, There are healthy, revenue-generating alternatives to soft drinks that can be sold on District campuses; now, therefore, be it;
Resolved, That effective January 2004, the only beverages authorized for sale at the Los Angeles Unified School District before, during, and until one half hour after the end of the school day at all sites accessible to students shall be: fruit based drinks that are composed of no less than 50 percent fruit juices and have no added sweeteners; drinking water; milk, including, but not limited to, chocolate milk, soy milk, rice milk, and other similar dairy or nondairy milk; and electrolyte replacement beverages and vitamin waters that do not contain more than 42 grams of added sweetener per 20 ounce serving; and be it,
Resolved further, That effective immediately neither the District nor individual schools shall enter into any new contracts, nor extend or renew any existing contracts, for the sale of any non approved beverage on campus from before the school day until one half hour after the end of the school day; and be it,
Resolved further, That starting January 2004 only approved beverages may be sold in vending machines, cafeterias, student stores, or advertised, or promoted at all sites accessible to students with the following expressed exception: 1) Non-approved beverages as related to this motion may be sold for fundraising activities or at school events occurring at least one half hour after the end of the school day provided that vending machines, student stores, and cafeterias are not utilized for such sales; and be it,
Resolved further, That the Superintendent will develop and implement with the Office of the Inspector General an audit program that will monitor compliance of this resolution; and be it
Resolved further, That unauthorized contracts shall be immediately declared void and appropriate disciplinary action shall be taken for violation of this policy; and be it,
Resolved further, That to assist in the implementation of this resolution, the Superintendent will, in collaboration with health organizations, disseminate information on healthy beverage sale options to all schools prior to January 2004, including resources on healthy beverages identified by the District's Linking Education, Activity, and Food (LEAF Grant) schools; and be it,
Resolved further, That the Superintendent will establish a working group that will represent the areas of instruction, student health, school operations and business services, in consultation with the Child Nutrition Advisory Committee, and that this group will review current food policies and enforcement of such policies, develop implementation procedures for competitive food sales, and develop programs in the areas of physical education and nutrition education for both students and parents, and will report back to the Board semi annually through fiscal year 2003-2004, and include in the first 6 month report a plan to address the revenue issues; and be it,
Resolved finally, That by January 2005 the Superintendent will report to the School Board regarding the progress of this resolution.
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