El Paso County judge wants to eliminate sodas in county vending machines

[TexasTowelie]

County Judge Veronica Escobar has proposed eliminating sodas from county vending machines to promote healthier living.

Escobar said it may sound like a "crazy" idea, but sugary drinks contribute to health problems like diabetes.

Even though the county administration has implemented initiatives to try to encourage a healthier lifestyle among its employees such as incentives to go to the gym, Escobar said limiting sodas in vending machines could encourage people to consume healthy options like water or juices.

"I would like for us to consider not providing sodas in our vending machines and cafeteria, instead water may be protein drinks, ice tea, unsweetened tea only because there is such enormous cost to sugary soda drinks and we are essentially making them easily accessible to everybody in the courthouse," she told commissioners on Monday.

Read more: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_28382856/county-judge-wants-eliminate-sodas-county-vending-machines

[font color=330099]I'm all for healthier diets, but this does seem like too much of a "nanny-state" proposal. It's one thing to have those limits in schools, but seems inappropriate in an environment filled with adults.[/font]

[CBGLuthier]

1. What is nanny state about it. You can go to a store and buy your poison

Why should the county make a buck selling shit to people?

He sounds like a good person with a good idea. Soda is poison.

[TexasTowelie]

2. The judge is a she.

It also is not feasible to run to the store to go get a soft drink when you are at a courthouse. People are called to court for various reasons including serving in jury trials. If you regularly drink caffeine and start having withdrawal symptoms it makes you irritable, causes headaches and could influence your ability to make rational decisions as a juror. If I knew that I might face those circumstances, I would ask for an excuse from jury duty and tell the judge the reasons why. I doubt that a judge would want to risk a mistrial because they want to push their dietary agenda and as a taxpayer I would be upset if a judge did so.

In addition, El Paso is a very hot city and summer temperatures can get to 110 degrees so having a cold soda is a much more pleasant alternative than having a hot cup of coffee. I also don't drink tea whatsoever because I never cared for the bitter taste and it has more caffeine per fluid ounce than a soda. It is possible to get sugar-free sodas, but trying to find sugar-free juices is nearly impossible and for those that have diabetes that is also a consideration. Any drink can be considered as a poison if you consume too much of it--even water.

I'm not saying that they shouldn't offer alternatives for both food and beverages, but eliminating the availability of caffeinated beverages which are legal does fit the bill for being controlling and nanny state behavior. I don't think that a judge should designate what substances a grown adult should use or not use unless those substances are illegal.

[CBGLuthier]

4. So because some are addicted to something bad for you the county should sell it?

Where are the heroin and cocaine dispensaries?

Sugar free soda is even worse poison than sugared. Why do people put shit in their bodies without understanding the effects that shit has on their bodies?

Do you think they should have soda machines in schools?

[TexasTowelie]

5. You are conflating multiple issues.

Heroin and cocaine are illegal substances and should not be sold as I said in my earlier post. However, sodas are not illegal so it is ridiculous to make that comparison.

I agree that adults and even children should make an effort to understand the substances that they put into their bodies. Personally, I have 30 hours of chemistry including biochemistry and pharmacology so I have a better understanding than most of the population regarding what I eat, drink and the chemicals I am exposed to whether for recreational purposes or as environmental hazards related to employment. I also have lactose intolerance, but because milk is a toxin to me doesn't mean that I expect everyone else should consider milk to be poison. Over consumption of sodas is not good for the body and can certainly cause problems, but equating them to poison seems extreme. From your response, I think that you would want to ban all beverages (including water) being sold because they could be bad for someone. Please advise what beverages you would allow to be sold that meets your prescribed list that aren't poisons.

As far as having soda machines in school are concerned, I don't believe it is a wise idea for students in earlier grades to have access to soda machines because of the effect that caffeine can have on younger bodies. As far as the later grades are concerned, it is the duty of the parents to explain the health effects of sodas and set appropriate limits. I don't have an issue with having soda machines for students as they reach intermediate school and high school since they should be able to make appropriate choices and I disagreed with the government eliminating soda machines because it tended to drive students off campus where they were far more likely to get into trouble. Since parents also provide money to their children they also have the financial influence to limit the amount of soda consumption at school.

[Kalidurga]

3. I told people when they banned smoking from all public buildings even bars...

that this kind of thing would start to happen. I hate slippery slope arguments, but the drive to control people to force them to be healthier is a strong one. It's mostly a drive to control people who are overweight. Which is funny because it's assumed when someone is a normal weight they are healthier and people go into shock when a normal weight person dies young of cancer or a heart attack, they are like oh he or she looked so healthy. Anyone can get sick. Thinking that only overweight people are unhealthy is dangerous.