Soda Poppin’

I am not exaggerating. At Alak school in Wainwright most every kid from 6th grade up would bring a six-pack of soda pop to school each and every day. It was not at all unusual for some to bring in and drink a half-rack of pop. It was one of the battles that the school chose not to fight. In Angoon, the kids weren’t as flagrant as that – but it was evident that soda or some energy drink was the preferred beverage to be consumed at any opportunity. The school, or at least individual teachers, would occasionally enforce the rule prohibiting those drinks on campus.

Yes, diabetes is rampant in villages and tooth decay is a huge problem. Many youngsters have already lost some of their permanent teeth to rot. Obesity is common and the empty calories in soda pop are a major factor.

Here in Akiuk, I will soon face an ethical dilemma. I will be expected to help run the school store and the store sells mostly candy, junk food, soda and energy drinks. The school does enforce a policy that prohibits the sale of any junk food or drink before 5 PM on school days – but the ‘healthy’ offerings before 5 are mostly sugarcoated granola bars, corn nuts and drinks with a few drops of actual juice. Come 5 and anything goes: mostly candy and pop. Once again I have to state that I am not exaggerating, but the school store will clear over $25K this school year with the proceeds going to offset the cost of taking the kids to Hawaii.

It will probably be a battle that I will choose not to fight – after all I am the new kid on the block and I’ll be gone for good in May. But I know I will feel like drug dealer each and every time a kid or parent gets their junk food fix.

Maybe it's time to think about a special tax on soda - and use the money to pay for prevention and to cover the additional health care costs of diabetes, dental decay, and obesity. Check out Nicholas Kristof's NY Times article: Miracle Tax Diet.