Mangere cuts out sugary drinks

‘‘Fast food outlets sell these drinks. Profits go offshore, we are left with the carnage.’’

Mangere might be the first community in South Auckland taking a leap towards a healthier lifestyle.

Sugary drinks will soon be a thing of the past as the MangereOtahuhu Local Board moves to replace the sale and supply of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) with healthier alternatives, starting this week at the Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Pool and Leisure Centre.

This change will take affect at all other council ‘social’ facilities, and at council-run events in the Mangere-Otahuhu area by December 2018.

Social facilities include community centres,, libraries, swimming pools and recreation facilities, public open spaces, galleries and museums.

A 600-millilitre bottle of Coke, Pepsi, or equivalent, is labelled as one serving and contains 64 grams of sugar (that’s 16 teaspoons).

Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board chair Lydia Sosene says they are supporting the principle, but respect people’s right to chose.

‘‘We’re not saying people can’t have [sugary drinks]. But, in council facilities, it’s not an option.’’

She says it will be ‘‘a couple of years [to enforce the move] because it takes time for people to change bad habits’’.

Sosene says when you live in an area like South Auckland, ‘‘sometimes people don’t have options. We’ve got too many fast food outlets that sell these drinks. Nobody questions it. All those profits go offshore, but we are left with the carnage’’.

Healthier alternatives, as defined by National District Health Board Food and Beverage Network include water, unflavoured milk, hot tea or coffee and 100 per cent fruit juice, diluted fruit juice with no added sugar, and artificially sweetened beverages or zero sugar drinks in small portions.

Auckland Council senior activation advisor for parks, sports and recreation, Peter Caccioppoli says Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Pool and Leisure Centre will replace all SSBs by December.

‘‘Within the week, we will have replaced the drinks. It is an internal decision. We feel that these SSBs are harmful and can lead to obesity.’’ soft