Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Cadbury Schweppes and the American Beverage Association have announced that they will stop selling soda nationwide at elementary and middle schools and limit sales in high schools. Only water, milk and juice can be sold in elementary and middle schools under the agreement reached with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, an initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation.
In elementary schools, the drinks can be no more than eight ounces, while in middle schools the beverages must be 10 ounces or smaller, according to the agreement. Only low-calorie sodas and sports drinks, along with juice and milk, will be permitted in high schools.
The agreement will take at least until the 2008-09 school year to be implemented while companies repackage drinks and find substitutes for the traditional sugary sodas.