Intro to Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Reduction

More Water in the Workplace and Community

Reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in worksites, public places, and recreation.

1. Develop educational messages to agencies, businesses, and the public.
2. Review model policies and adapt and distribute them to local and state partners.
3. Work with local and state partners to initiate policies that will lead to decreased intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.
4. Create an advocacy campaign to address need, urgency and cost benefit of SSB reduction targeted at decision-makers (such as human resources and administration.)
5. Review model beverage contract language, adapt as needed and distribute to local and state partners.
6. Identify lead corporations (e.g. hospitals) to adopt SSB policies, then recruit other businesses to participate.

More Water in Schools

Reduce consumption of SSBs in schools.

1. Review model beverage contract language, adapt as needed, and distribute through local and state partners.
2. Develop and implement district policies that prohibit the sale of SSBs.
3. Incorporate SSB policy implementation, as needed, into the Wellness Priority of the Arkansas Consolidated School Improvement Plan (ACSIP) to assure accountability.
4. Develop local means (in addition to state agency reviews) to perform policy compliance checks.
5. Develop a recognition system for achievements in SSB reduction within local school districts.
6. Use campaigns to increase consumption of water and fat-free/low-fat milk.

State and Local Policy

Use policy incentives and disincentives (such as limits on time SSBs are available, size of containers and/or product mix) that will impact sugar-sweetened beverage purchases.

1. Increase water availability through pricing strategies, product location/placement and free water fountains.
2. Increase fat-free/low-fat milk availability through pricing strategies and product placement/location.
3. Require caloric labeling of SSBs in vending machines.
4. Limit portion size of all SSBs sold in state and local government owned or operated facilities.
5. Promote a kids-meal default beverage as fat-free/low-fat milk.

More Water in Day Care Centers

Eliminate use of SSBs in licensed day care centers.

1. Develop and implement policies through DHS Child Care Licensing to eliminate the use of SSBs.
2. Increase free water availability at all times.
3. Use campaigns to increase consumption of water and milk (fat-free/low-fat) for children age 2 and older.

Team Objectives

Visit the Progress Tracker to learn about this Priority Area’s objectives.

The Team

The Sugar Sweetened Beverage Reduction priority is led by Carole Garner, MPH, RDN, LD, with the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement. Her team features members from the following groups: Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Department of Education, American Heart Association-NWA, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Hospital Association, Beaver Water District, Delta Dental of Arkansas, Midwest Dairy, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Want to find out how you can help? Contact us!

Priority 7 Team Basecamp