Illinois Gov. Calls For Junk Food Ban

Well, at firrst blush, the news from the Chicago Tribune sounds promising: Illinois’s Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Monday called on the State Board of Education to ban sales of unhealthy snacks and soft drinks at elementary and middle schools.

But then, you quickly learn that this junk food ban excludes high schools "that benefit most from vending machine proceeds," as the Tribune put it. And it’s also "less dramatic than a ban proposed in 2003 that state lawmakers rebuffed."

Even so, it is a start. In fact, the governor asserted in a letter to the state board:

"We know that selling candy and soda to elementary and middle school students is not good for their health, so let’s do what we can to stop it."

But what about getting high schools?

2 thoughts on “Illinois Gov. Calls For Junk Food Ban

  1. I DONT BELIEVE IN THE BAN OF JUNK FOOD IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS SO I DONT THINK THAT THE BAN SHOULD INCLUDE ANY SCHOOLS.
    THE MONEY FROM THE SALE OF “JUNK FOOD” CONTRIBUTES TO THE SCHOOLS’ SPENDING MONEY FOR SUPPLIES FOR THE CLASSROOMS SO IF YOU TAKE THAT AWAY, HOW IS THE SCHOOL GOING TO GET THAT MONEY THAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR SUPPLIES?
    Comment from Connie: There are other ways to raise needed money for schools — car washes; sales of fruits and vegetables and artwork made by the kids, etc. Taking the junk food money is a cop-out, in my opinion. Connie

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