1. AB 1746 (Williams):
Sale of Sports Drinks in Schools
current school day does not include the kind of rigorous
SUMMARY activity that warrants ready access to sports drinks.
AB 1746 would prohibit electrolyte replacement
beverages (sports drinks) from being sold to middle or NEED FOR THE BILL
high school students during school hours. The sale of
such drinks would be restricted starting thirty minutes Despite these alarming facts, sports drinks remain
before the start of the school day and would conclude not available to students. A recent study indicated that eight
before thirty minutes after the end of the school day. of the top 10 beverages sold a la carte in California’s
public high schools are sports drinks, clearly becoming the
drink of choice for those students wanting a substitute for
BACKGROUND soda. While few school districts, such as the San
Francisco Unified School District, have recognized the
problem and have taken it upon themselves to remove
Current California law restricts the sale of soda and most these beverages from their campuses, the vast majority
other sweetened beverages on elementary, middle, and have not. California needs to be a leader and remove
high school campus. However, the law includes a these unnecessary and calorie-laden beverages from all of
loophole allowing the sale of one type of sugar- its school campuses.
sweetened beverage – “sports drinks” – on middle and
high school campuses.
SUPPORT
One in three California students is overweight or obese.
California Medical Association (Co-Sponsor)
Sugar-sweetened beverages, including sports drinks, are a
California Center for Public Health Advocacy (Co-
major contributor to the problem. For children, each
Sponsor)
extra can or glass of a sugar-sweetened beverage
American Academy of Pediatrics
consumed per day can increase their chance of becoming
American Cancer Society, CA Division
obese by as much as 60%. The prevalence of
American Diabetes Association
overweight/obesity is higher in adolescents who consume
AFSCME
sugar-sweetened beverages.
American Heart Association
California Chiropractic Association
There is a common misconception that sports drinks, also
California Dental Association
known as “electrolyte replacement beverages” or “ERBs”,
California Food Policy Advocates
are healthy. Yet many contain high fructose corn syrup
California Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health
and/or other calorie-laden sweeteners that have been
Directors
linked to the rise in childhood obesity, the primary cause
California Pan-Ethnic Health Networks
of type-2 diabetes. For example, the typical 32-ounce
California Physical Therapy Association
sports drink has 14 teaspoons of sugar, the equivalent of
California School Nutrition Association
22 Starburst candies.
California Teachers Association
Los Angeles Board of Supervisors
Sports drinks are designed to replace fluids after intense
Sansum Diabetes Research Institute
exercise and generally contain sodium and potassium to
improve fluid absorption in the body. The United States OPPOSITION
Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that ERBs may
be useful when large quantities of fluids are lost through Cal Chamber
sweating on a daily basis, and/or those who perform California/Nevada Soft Drink Association
continuous exercise for more than 60 minutes. However, California Automatic Vendors Council
the USDA concludes that there is no need to substitute
sports drinks for water as a primary form of fluid FOR MORE INFORMATION
replacement. Additionally, the American Academy of
Pediatrics states that children should be given water Leslie Villegas
before, during and after exercise, with the exception of Office of Assemblymember Das Williams
small amounts of sports drinks for children exercising in (916) 319-2404
hot, humid conditions for more than one hour. The Leslie.villegas@asm.ca.gov