NYT “Room for Debate” Contributors Urge CVS to Drop Soda, Energy Drinks
Contributors to a recent New York Times “Room for Debate” column have
urged CVS Caremark Corp. to stop selling soda, energy drinks and high-calorie
snacks in the wake of its decision to discontinue the sale of tobacco products.
Noting in her debate response that “food is not tobacco,” New York University
Nutrition Professor Marion Nestle nevertheless encourages the retailer to
increase its sales of fruits, vegetables and healthy snacks while decreasing the
availability of items like soda, ice cream and chips. “If CVS wants to counter
obesity,” she opines, “dropping soft drinks is a good place to start. They have
scads of sugars, and kids who drink them regularly take in more calories, are
fatter and have worse diets than kids who do not.”
In addition, a senior scientist at the University at Buffalo Research Institute on
Addictions calls on CVS pharmacies to prohibit the sale of caffeinated energy
drinks to children younger than age 18. “The American Academy of Pediatrics,
the Institute of Medicine and the American Medical Association have all
issued statements recommending against energy drink use by children and
adolescents,” writes Kathleen Miller. “By restricting sales to minors, CVS could
take another pioneering step in promoting the health of its most vulnerable
customers.” See The New York Times, February 7, 2014.
Issue 513
