Junk food slips into vending machines

By Emily Richmond

Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2004 | 11:11 a.m.

Monday was the start of the Clark County School District's crackdown on junk food sales to students, but at Valley High School a few renegade Twinkies managed to escape the dragnet.

Valley Principal Ron Montoya admitted he was surprised to see a row of the high-sugar, low-nutrition snack cakes in a vending machine in his campus cafeteria.

"It's not what I think most people would call a healthy choice," Montoya said.

It turned out Twinkies had made it onto a preliminary list of approved food items over the summer and were not removed until last week, said Karen Vogel, director of special programs and nutritional services for the district.

"Twinkies are the one thing people always joke about when they talk about true junk food," said Vogel, who began her job in July. "Obviously schools that have them in their machines will have to replace them."

Some items that may not typically be considered healthier options did clear the district's new nutritional hurdles, including Pop Tarts and Pringles. There were also nutrition bars masquerading behind candy bar flavors such as Snickers.

To show his school took the district's new nutrition policy seriously, Montoya led an impromptu tour of the cafeteria, pointing out the racks of baked snack chips and bottled water. At Valley in past years, the vending machines and school store have brought in as much as $40,000 for the school's general fund, Montoya said. While there may be an initial drop-off in sales as students adjust to the new products, in the long run profit should rebound, Montoya said.

"Business has to adapt to our needs," Montoya said. "If it does that, we'll make as much money, if not more."

Rosa Coranado, a senior at Valley, said students will also adapt.

"If they're really hungry, they're going to eat what's there," Coranado said.

At a 7-Eleven at the corner of Sahara and Eastern avenues -- less than a block from Valley's campus -- store manager Annette Trail was bracing for the after-school crush of teenagers. The district's junk food ban will mean more business for convenience stores near schools, Trail said.

She estimated that Valley students already account for 60 percent of the store's total sales.

But just because she sells high-fat, sugary snacks doesn't mean Trail thinks students should be eating it.

"The ban is probably a good idea, especially because of the growing rate of obesity," said Trail, whose daughter started her freshman year Monday at Eldorado High School.

From Maine to California, school districts nationwide have enacted junk food bans over the past few years. Under Clark County's policy, approved by the School Board this summer, not more than 30 percent of an item's calories may come from fat and may not be more than 35 percent added sugar by weight. There are also limits on saturated and trans fats.

Research has shown a direct relationship between students' eating habits and their performance on standardized tests as well as overall achievement, said Clark County School Board member Denise Brodsky, who drafted the junk food ban.

"We can't tell our kids to eat healthy at home and then fill up our schools with junk food," Brodsky said. "If we're consistent in our message, it's going to have a much bigger impact."

Brodsky also spearheaded another health-related ban. As of Monday tobacco products are prohibited on any district campus or property. Employees may not use tobacco products in district-owned vehicles. The ban also applies to visitors at all district-sponsored activities, such as sporting events and dances.

To help prepare employees for the smoke-free campus policy, the district and the Teachers' Health Trust have been distributing fliers directing people to support groups and cessation programs.