City eyes sugary drink restrictions for rec centres
Public health suggests cutting back the sale of sugary drinks and bottled water in city buildings
THE CITY IS LOOKING at drastically cutting back the sale of bottled water and sugary drinks like pop in recreation facilities.
City officials will pitch a “healthy food and beverage action plan” Monday to Hamilton’s board of health following years of political debate over the prospect of banning the sale of bottled water and pop at municipal facilities.
The plan does not call for an outright ban, but instead suggests the city “reduce the availability” of bottled water and sugary drinks like pop, Gatorade, fruit juice and even slushies in vending machines and concession stands.
Volunteer-run fundraising concessions would be exempt, as would city golf courses as a result of liquor licence requirements.
The change would coincide with the introduction of alternatives for sale like unsweetened milk .
But the policy would not take effect until 2021, when the city’s beverage contract expires with Coca Cola.
Visitors would still be able to bring their own pop or bottled water into city facilities.
Coun. Aidan Johnson, who asked for a study two years ago on axing bottled water sales in city facilities, said he considers the plan a “qualified ban” and a “carefully crafted compromise.”
The Ward 1 councillor said a bottle crackdown is needed to protect groundwater and combat the “ecological blight of plastic” pollution.
The city report notes rec centres and arenas sell 16,000 water bottles a year.
Johnson also argued the city should “stop implicitly promoting sugary drinks” to kids playing sports at municipal facilities otherwise aimed at improving their health.
He argued the almost-ban “respects the principle of choice” because visitors can bring their own water bottles or pop.
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said staff purposely avoided calling the plan a “ban” because it is a “bit of a charged word.”
But she said the city should “move down the road” toward selling progressively more healthy drinks and fewer sugary items over several years.
Local health groups like the Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canadian Cancer Society have repeatedly appealed to council to find local ways to protect kids from high-sugar, highly marketed drinks like pop.
McMaster health researcher Dr. Sonia Anand told councillors last year the “liquid candy” will eventually contribute to 63,000 deaths in Canada and $50.7 billion in health-care costs within 25 years.
The Canadian Beverage Association has in the past told councillors they should not consider bottled water a competitor to municipal tap water.
“Our view has always been bottled water is a handy, convenient way to supplement intake of tap water,” said spokesperson Jeff Rutledge.
He didn’t want to comment specifically on the proposed Hamilton plan until association officials review the document.
But the association has been actively consulting with city politicians and bureaucrats, based on lobbyist registry records since 2016.
Association lobbyists have repeatedly registered to talk to councillors and staff in the mayor’s office about the industry’s economic impact, recycling and environmental efforts.
Local environmentalists are also lining up to speak on the plan Monday, including Kristen Villebrun, who staged a floating protest on a raft in Hamilton harbour in 2015 over pollution carpeting the shoreline.
Even if the plan is approved by council, the existing beverage contract means pop and bottled water will be available in arenas, rec centres and concession stands for at least the next three years.
In the meantime, the city proposes to start selling reusable water bottles at city rec centres, pumping up marketing for its own “reliable” tap water and providing visible advertising that highlights calorie and sugar information about available food and drink.
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Our view has always been bottled water is a handy, convenient way to supplement intake of tap water. JEFF RUTLEDGE
Spokesperson for the Canadian Beverage Association