Ohio dentists battle soft drinks in schools

                                                            Toledo group says soda companies are marketing to captive
                                                            audience, increasing cavity rate of pupils

                                                            Associated Press

                                                            TOLEDO: The practice of selling ``pouring rights'' to soft-drink
                                                            companies may be profitable for schools, but it's not in the best interest
                                                            of the students, a group of Toledo dentists says.

                                                            It is hoping to go national with its effort to educate apparently
                                                            complacent parents about soft-drink marketing in schools and tooth
                                                            decay among children.

                                                            The dentists say their teen patients increasingly are showing up with
                                                            cavities. The dentists blame part of that increase on the widespread
                                                            availability of soft drinks in schools.

                                                            The Toledo Dental Society has given $10,000 to the local education
                                                            campaign by the Soft Drink Task Force of Northwest Ohio. The Ohio
                                                            Dental Association, sparked by the Toledo Dental Society, has given
                                                            $10,000 to underwrite a similar statewide educational campaign.

                                                            Next month, the association plans to attend the annual meeting of the
                                                            American Dental Association and encourage the group to take similar
                                                            action.

                                                            ``I'm proud Ohio is leading the country,'' said Dylan Bernstein, a native
                                                            Ohioan, who works for the Oakland, Calif.-based Center for
                                                            Commercial- Free Public Education.

                                                            His group was formed to fight what it saw as improper marketing to a
                                                            captive audience -- students.

                                                            Granting exclusive ``pouring rights'' began three years ago, and about
                                                            200 school districts in the country have them now, he said.

                                                            Soft drinks have been in the schools for years, but the new contracts
                                                            usually stipulate that machines be added and other actions be taken to
                                                            increase the exposure of soft drinks to children.

                                                            Michael Jacobson is executive director of the Center for Science in the
                                                            Public Interest, said the efforts of the Toledo task force were unusual.

                                                            Jacobson, whose group attracted attention for criticizing Chinese food
                                                            and movie popcorn because of their health risks, said increased
                                                            soft-drink marketing in schools has met with little resistance nationwide.

                                                            School boards often are enticed by the chance to earn extra money in
                                                            tough financial times, and the public doesn't see much of a problem
                                                            with the practice or hasn't heard of the activity, he said.

                                                            ``The basic issue is why do they sell junk food at all in the schools?
                                                            When it comes to nutrition, schools are speaking out of both sides of
                                                            their mouths,'' he said.