Fizzy drinks are falling flat
Primary school pupils are taking the fight to fizz by learning to say ‘‘no’’ to sugary drinks.
Fairfield School, in Levin, is encouraging its children to ditch sugary drinks for November.
Such drinks are already banned from the school, but pupils are being challenged to give them up outside the school gate too.
Fairfield School’s acting deputy principal Yvonne Nicholson said the reaction had been positive and pupils had embraced the challenge.
‘‘Quite a few of the younger children in particular, they like to have a little bit of competition happening.
‘‘It’s not something we expect every child to adhere to. We are asking them if they would like to accept the challenge,’’ she said.
The school is one of 76 taking part in the New Zealand Dental Association’s Switch to Water campaign, which has 13,000 pupils registered nationwide.
It encourages people to make informed decisions by teaching them about the benefits of drinking water, as opposed to forcing them to not have sugary drinks.
Fairfield pupils were not allowed sugary drinks at school, so the real challenge was switching to water outside school time, Nicholson said.
‘‘We’ve talked to students about if they are at a party and they’re offered fizzy drink, how they might request water, because they’re aware of the fact that fizzy drinks can cause cavities,’’ Nicholson said.
Colgate oral health promotion manager Deepa Hughes said the campaign aimed to teach people sugary drinks should only be enjoyed in moderation and water was the best choice for their health.
‘‘We want people to reach for water first when they’re thirsty.’’
‘‘Sugary drinks should be a treat. Instead they have become the drink of choice, especially for young people.’’
‘‘Sugary drinks should be a treat. Instead they have become the drink of choice, especially for young people.’’
Deepa Hughes