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In the United States the USDA previously banned the sale of sports drinks and sugary beverages in schools, with parents and school officials looking to restrict options to more healthier alternatives. 

# But have these bans worked? 
Some say that it has shown limited impact, that it might [fuel an increase](https://www.healio.com/pediatrics/nutrition/news/online/%7Bfdf1cfec-d010-40ac-8e81-a707672c5cb5%7D/soda-bans-in-school-lead-to-increase-in-other-sugar-sweetened-beverages) in other sugar-alt drinks, researchers have previously suggested that perhaps we should consider that these bans [*simply do not work*](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/11/study-of-the-day-bans-on-soda-and-other-sugary-drinks-dont-work/248070/). 

Still, you can find many soda bans in various places today, and in more countries than just in the United States alone. 

Just recently, Grenada declared its own sugar ban for drinks in schools, [in an effort to try and get kids to make healthier choices and restrict access to these products](https://wicnews.com/caribbean/grenada-praised-sugar-ban-schools-154324501/). 

It isn't just drinks either, they are going to be banning 'sweet snacks' in school as well. Vendors will not be permitted to sell carbonated drinks or sugar-filled snacks at either *public or private school locations* around Grenada. 

Parents won't be allowed to make the decision for their children and family either, as the state officials have declared parents are prohibited from including these items in any lunches for students to bring with them to school. 

Wanting children to eat healthy is a great goal, but do we need to use such violence in order to achieve it? If someone does not want to make the choice to drink a healthier drink, should we force them to do otherwise? 

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> “Excessive consumption of sweet beverages is one the major drivers of obesity, yet most Caribbean children are still consuming carbonated drinks loaded with sugars on a daily basis,” - M. Hutton, [Executive Director of the (HCC) Healthy Caribbean Coalition](https://www.forbes.com/sites/daphneewingchow/2019/12/23/sugary-beverages-are-feeding-a-childhood-obesity-epidemic-in-the-caribbean/#72fc2625b764)

This ban comes as a result [of increasing rates in obese and overweight children](https://www.nycfoodpolicy.org/food-policy-snapshot-grenada-bans-soda-and-sugary-snacks-in-school/), in what has been described as an obesity epidemic in the Caribbean that they describe as being fueled by sugar. 

Officials hope that reducing the access in schools is the first step to addressing that problem. But they don't stop the children from accessing these items in any other places for now. 

Jamaica has also gone ahead and introduced a similar ban, that went into effect last year. [They went even further](https://face2faceafrica.com/article/jamaica-bans-sugary-drinks-in-and-outside-school-boundaries) to include the ban in public health facilities as well. Now manufacturers are busy trying to reduce the sugar content so that they can come up with products that are going to be accepted. 

Aside from bans to try and stop access, [taxes](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/making-sense/how-taxing-sugary-drinks-affects-a-communitys-health-and-economy) have also been [considered in various places](https://www.heartfoundationja.org/2019/03/08/caribbean-moves-towards-taxing-of-sugar-sweetened-beverages/). 

Previous investigations have suggested that higher incomes are associated with [drinking fewer sugary drinks](https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/sugary-drink-shockers-what-recent-report-says/4/),  so these taxes are often looked at as simply new taxes on the already [overburdened poor communities](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2033153/Sugar-nation-Half-Americans-drink-soda-daily--poor-people-9-cent-daily-calories-it.html). 

It's unlikely that violence in the way of legislation or taxes are going to *[make people healthier](https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/taxing-soda-won-t-end-america-s-unhealthy-obsession-sugary-ncna910781)* in the long run, but it is the most sensible solution that they can come up with for now.  



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