NY May Ban Purchase of Sugary Drinks with Food Stamps

NEW YORKIn an effort to help curb the citys growing obesity epidemic New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Gov. David A. Paterson on Oct. 7 unveiled an initiative submitted to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to exclude sugar-sweetened beverages from the list of allowable purchases through the nations food stamp program.

USDA administers the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which already prohibits the use of benefits to buy cigarettes, beer, wine, liquor or prepared foods. The ban would apply to any beverage that contains more than 10 calories per 8 ounces, except for milk products, milk substitutes like soy milk and rice milk, and fruit juices without added sugar.

Under the proposal, the 1.7 million city food stamp recipients would continue to receive the same amount of government-funded benefits, but would not be able to use food stamps to buy sugar-sweetened beverages for two years. The initiative is part of the larger citywide strategy to improve nutrition of all New Yorkers.

Bloomberg said obesity-related illness costs New York State residents nearly $8 billion, $770 per household, in medical costs each year. More than half of adults (57%) in New York City are overweight or obese, and diabetes causes more than 22,300 hospitalizations annually among themnearly half (46 percent) of those hospitalized live in low-income neighborhoods.

In spite of the great gains weve made over the past eight years in making our communities healthier, there are still two areas where were losing groundobesity and diabetes," Bloomberg said in an official statement. This initiative will give New York families more money to spend on foods and drinks that provide real nourishment."

Commenting on the proposal to eliminate the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages with food stamps in New York, the American Beverage Association issued the following statement:

In response to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's petition to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to eliminate the purchase of sugar-sweetened beverages from the food stamps program in New York City, the American Beverage Association issued the following statement:

"There is nothing unique about the calories in sugar-sweetened beverageswhich include flavored waters, sports drinks, juice drinks and teasto justify singling them out for elimination from eligible purchases in the food stamps program in New York City. This is just another attempt by government to tell New Yorkers what they should eat and drink, and will only have an unfair impact on those who can least afford it.

If we want to reduce obesity in this country, we need to look at comprehensive solutions that address balancing calories in with calories out. After all, we know that is the key to maintaining a healthy weight. Importantly, the beverage industry has taken and continues to take bold action to help address the complex public health issue of obesity. The industry has changed the beverage landscape for children and adolescents. With our School Beverage Guidelines, beverage companies have removed full-calorie soft drinks from schools across the country and replaced them with lower-calorie, smaller-portion beverage choices. As a result of this initiative, calories available from beverages in schools have been cut by 88 percent.

Also, in support of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move!' anti-obesity campaign, America's leading beverage companies have committed to clearly display the calories in all beverages on the front of the can or bottle as well as on company-controlled vending and fountain machines. And beverage companies are producing fewer total beverage calories for the marketplace through the innovation of more no- and low-calorie beverages. In fact, from 1998 to 2008, industry cut the total beverage calories it brought to market by 21 percent. These are voluntary actions that will achieve meaningful and lasting results."