As Student Council President, you have been asked to write a newspaper article on the presence of ...

The allegations brought against schools and the soft drink industry are strong. Many people feel that our schools have sold out on our children's health for the sake of the sports equipment. School food service programs are expected to be self-supporting, and they cannot compete against soft drinks, chips, candy; thus, food service programs claim that school support of soft drinks and other "junk" foods undermines their programs and, in turn, our children's health. Soft drink companies are under attack for pushing non-nutritious foods to children. They are also accused of putting profits and brand loyalty ahead of our children's health.

As adequate funding for public schools is waning from provincial and federal governments, schools are desperate to find sources of revenue to provide materials and programs to children. Thus, school administrators feel justified in accepting lucrative contracts from soft drink companies to support educational efforts. Soft drink companies argue that soft drinks and other snack foods can be part of a nutritious diet and that there is no evidence to prove that soft drinks cause obesity. They believe they have every right to maximize profits.