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Analysis: Critics rail at PTA, Coca-Cola

By LES KJOS

MIAMI, June 11 (UPI) -- As concerns mount over the sales of sugary soft drinks and other products in the nation's schools, critics are wondering which side the Parent Teachers Association is on.

The National PTA has accepted a sponsorship from Coca-Cola Enterprises of Dallas, a subsidiary and bottler for the Coca-Cola Company, for one of its programs, putting its opposition to commercial promotion in the classroom in question.

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Several groups are fighting the use of Coke and Pepsi-Cola soft drink machines in school hallways because of fears the sugar in the beverages are bad for the students' health.

The PTA says it opposes the promotion of commercial products in the classroom, and implies that its acceptance of the Coca-Cola endorsement does not undermine its position.

The problem began last week when Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc., of Dallas became a sponsor of the PTA's Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence Certification.

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The Commercial Alert organization says accepting the sponsorship is a mistake. The Oregon-based group that says its mission as keeping commercialism within its proper sphere, has written a letter to PTA President Shirley Igo, strongly objecting to the Coca-Cola Enterprises-PTA agreement.

"Instead of promoting the welfare of children, the National PTA is promoting the welfare of a corporation that seeks to fill them with sugar and caffeine," wrote Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert.

The PTA's certification program offers parents, teachers, principals, students and communities the chance to evaluate their school's parent involvement practices.

Participating schools can earn one of two distinctions -- a certification of excellence or recognition of commitment.

"The certification was designed to bring well-deserved recognition to good parent-school-community partnerships," Igo said.

But Ruskin said the price is too high.

"As you know, American children are suffering from an epidemic of obesity and Type 2 diabetes," Ruskin said. "There is a direct link between soda consumption and childhood obesity.

Ruskin cited a recent study published in the journal Lancet, the likelihood of "becoming obese among children increased 1.6 times for each additional can or glass of sugar-sweetened drink that they consumed every day."

"The National PTA should be a voice opposing this decay in public values, morality and health. It should not be an enabler and accomplice in the trend," Ruskin said. "We urge you to give back Coca-Cola's money."

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Coca-Cola is also sponsoring a booth on health and fitness at the PTA's national convention this summer.

Coca-Cola and the PTA declined to say how much money is involved, but they said the idea is not selling soft drinks.

"This is about community involvement," said Debby Moody, vice president for Public Affairs for Coca-Cola Enterprises.

"Our local bottler involvement is to recognize parents, teachers and schools across the country who have obtained the certificate of excellence and to assist in providing materials for the programs to members in communities across the country," Moody said.

The PTA also stood by its position Wednesday.

"We're standing by commercialization policy -- marketing advertising and collecting information on children has no place in classroom," said Vicki Loise, development director of the organization.

"The National PTA does not endorse any commercial entities. Coca-Cola is sponsoring the Parent Involvement Schools of Excellence Certification," Loise said.

That's as far as she would go.

The agreement comes during a nationwide effort to ban soft-drink machines in public schools, a practice that can sweeten the budget of school districts.

The soft-drink companies offer non-carbonated beverages such as juices, water and sports drinks, in their machines. Many of the devices have timers that can turn them off during school hours.

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The Soda Manufacturers Association reports that since 2001 28 states have tried to ban the machines and the like in schools. One bill that would ban the in-school sales and promotion has been introduced in Congress.

The effort has succeeded in Los Angeles and Oakland and are under review in Indiana and Illinois. Some individual school districts, including Bozeman, Mont.; Fenton, Mich.; and Danville, Va.; have banned on-campus soda sales.

The debate is raging this summer in Cody, Wyo.; and Great Falls, Mont.

Bills have failed in Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Wyoming.

But the money involved could provide offers that school districts can't refuse in these times of bare-bones school budgets.

Last week, the Hillsborough County, Fla., School Board in the Tampa Bay area granted PepsiCo exclusive rights to sell and promote Pepsi-Cola in the public schools for the next 12 years for an estimated $50 million.

The vote by the school board was 5-0.

"This is a lot of funding we have no other way to get," board member Glenn Barrington said. He said he didn't believe soft drinks are a primary cause of obesity among the nation's youth.

"That's not the cause at all," he said.

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He contends students are "going home, not going out to play anymore, playing with machines. The only strong thing they've got are their fingers."

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