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Article: SPONSORSHIP OR COMMERCIALISM? The dilemma of vending machines in public schools
- Article from:
- Boise Weekly
- Article date:
- October 7, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Boise Weekly Oct 07, 2003. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The pitch is simple: Businesses pay to put their ads and products in front of young consumers. In return, the school district gets a check.
And now consider these tidbits:
Fifteen percent of young people ages 6 to 19 are overweight, three times the percentage 20 years ago.
From 1977 to 1996 soda consumption by 12-19 year olds increased 75 percent for boys and 40 percent for girls.
About 90 percent of U.S. middle and high schools sell soft drinks in vending machines.
Across the country public schools are weighing lucrative vending machine contracts generating much-needed dollars against exposing students to commercialization and bad nutrition:
Los Angeles, starting next year, banned the sale ...