A.G. Gancarski
Should the United States Congress bar people from using food stamps to buy soft drinks? Two Florida lawmakers contend just that.
Fernandina Beach Republican Sen. Aaron Bean and Lecanto Republican Rep. Ralph Massullo filed “memorial” legislation (SM 1016;H 847) that would urge the feds to disqualify soda and related beverages from being purchased with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funds.
The bill defines “soft drinks” as “flavored carbonated beverages sweetened with natural or artificial sweeteners … nutrient poor but rich in calories and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and health disorders including obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.”
The New York Times reported in January that soft drinks are the top purchase of SNAP households, accounting for 5 percent of money spent; “sweetened beverages,” which include sweet tea and energy drinks with soft drinks, are 10 percent.
One expert quoted in the Times article said the arrangement amounted to a multi-billion dollar asset of the soft drink industry — especially notable at a time when those politically-connected companies are losing market share as more Americans move away from the health-harming sucrose cocktails.
Soda sales have been declining for twelve straight years, per Fortune.
2 comments
Clearly Makes Sense
December 1, 2017 at 8:51 am
As well it should be. The ingestion of the sugar contained in these types of drinks often leads to other health and dental problems. Individuals who get public assistance like SNAP often are on medical-related public assistance that is paid by tax dollars. It is, therefore, a vicious cycle from which neither the people getting the assistance nor the taxpayer can escape. This is not a question of “being mean”; it is a question of improving both health and economics.
AmeriBev
December 5, 2017 at 11:01 am
People using SNAP benefits make the same food-buying decisions as we all do and their purchases of beverages are no different. American families buy nearly the same amount of beverages regardless of whether or not they receive SNAP benefits.
America’s beverage companies know we must play a role in improving public health, which is why we remain committed to comprehensive actions to help cut sugar consumption in the American diet. Together, our companies are driving a reduction in the sugar and calories consumed from beverages across America — engaging with prominent public health and community organizations in this effort. This means doing the hard work of changing behavior in communities with some of the highest obesity rates in the country, including the Mississippi Delta and rural Alabama. We’re providing the new beverage options, information and encouragement to help people cut back on calories and sugar.
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