Senate eyes bill for standards in school foods

Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2001 | 10:09 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A bill aimed at discouraging students from eating junk food in public schools was introduced Tuesday by the Senate Finance Committee.

Senate Bill 107 would require the state Board of Education to adopt standards for the sale of candy and soft drinks in an effort to promote good nutrition in the schools.

"We're not trying to be food police," says Assemblywoman Barbara Cegavske, R-Las Vegas. "We want to promote better choices."

Cegavske and Sens. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, and Valerie Wiener, D-Las Vegas, attended a conference in New Mexico on health. And they learned that Nevada children have a high obesity rate compared to the rest of the states, said Cegavske.

And it's no wonder with all the high sugar foods sold in the schools.

"We want the kids to have choices," she said. There could be machines selling pretzels or popcorn or salad, she said. This bill, she said, does not require any of the junk food machines to be removed from the schools.

"The schools are there to teach nutrition," said Cegavske.

Some school earn $40,000 to $60,000 from these vending machines. And there's no accounting for this money, she said. In one instance, she was told the profits went to buy furniture for the principal.

"Is the dollar worth the health problems" that could affect these children who are eating this junk food?" she asked.

The schools, she said, should make sure the students are eating responsibly.

There is a federal regulation that soda machines must be shut down during the lunch hour in order to qualify for government money. Cegavske said some schools refuse the federal money because they make more on the vending machines.

The bill would require the state Department of Education to work with the state Health Division on a program to promote health and wellness among school district employees so they would serve as role models to the students.

The education board would be required to set the standards for the sale of candy, cakes, cookies, glaceed fruits and prepared cereals. Also included would be nonalcoholic beverages, whether carbonated or not, that are sweetened by sucrose, high fructose corn syrup or an artificial sweetener.

But standards would not be set on water, coffee, tea or milk if they are not sweetened. Also excluded would be beverages containing a minimum of 50 percent fruit or vegetable juice.

The bill provides $1.7 million to the four teacher training centers in Clark, Douglas, Elko and Washoe counties. This money would be used to instruct teachers on health, physical education and wellness. Clark County would get $782,000 of the appropriation.