Guest guest Posted April 2, 2002 Report Share Posted April 2, 2002 NOT WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED Tell Senator Schumer and the USDA That Putting Milk Vending Machines in Schools Is a Bad Idea Scientific evidence shows that there are many health risks linked to drinking cow's milk: from asthma, ear infections, and allergies to type 1 (childhood-onset) diabetes and prostate cancer. Yet, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is pushing for milk vending machines in every public school across the country. He claims, " The machines could be just what the doctor ordered to clean up the dietary disarray in schools and help fix the crisis facing New York farms. " Not surprisingly, Senator Schumer's state of New York is the second-largest dairy-producing state in the country after California. What is Senator Schumer proposing? Senator Schumer has urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to offer financial incentives to schools that put milk vending machines in their hallways. If the USDA declines to act on its own, Senator Schumer says he will consider legislating this " vendi-milk " requirement through this year's reauthorization of the Child Nutrition Act and National School Lunch Act. What you can do: Write Senator Schumer and USDA Secretary Ann Veneman and tell them why this is a bad idea. Tell them that to truly improve and safeguard the health of America's children, they should implement wholesale changes to the School Lunch Program, such as eliminating the dairy requirement and mandating that a low-fat, vegan option be available every day, and they should stop the " commodity dump " of unhealthy, surplus animal products on economically disadvantaged school children who receive meals through this Program. As for vending machines, if they want to reduce the consumption of carbonated beverages in favor of healthy alternatives, vending machines should be filled with bottled water, juice, and soymilk—not cow's milk. How to contact Senator Schumer: The Honorable Charles Schumer 313 Hart Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-6542 Fax: 202-228-3027 senator How to contact USDA Secretary Ann Veneman: Ann Veneman, Secretary U.S. Department of Agriculture 1400 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20250 Phone: 202-720-3631 Fax: 202-720-2166 agsec Tax Center - online filing with TurboTax Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 4, 2002 Report Share Posted April 4, 2002 While I happen to agree that there is no need for milk in anyone's diets, I think that this is a poor use of energy. I'd like to see the SODA machines out first! Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 6, 2002 Report Share Posted April 6, 2002 Both should go. I have a friend who was trying to raise her daughter vegan. The public school she went to kept insisting on giving her a container of milk with each meal even though she told them that her daughter should not have milk (she was actually allergic to milk and would get a bad case of eczema if she drank it, although the daughter knew not to drink it). When she complained to the school she was told that they were *required* to give out milk with each meal even if the child didn't want it because if they had a surplus, they would lose funding! My friend was told that if her daughter didn't want the milk she could throw it out and they didn't care as long as they *gave* it to her in the first place. Amazing. Both examples show that big business (whether it's Coca Cola or the dairy ranchers) have an interest in " educating " our children, regardless of what's in their best interest. Susan - Sandra Mort <sandra.mort Thursday, April 04, 2002 6:21 PM Re: Stop Milk Vending Machines in schools > While I happen to agree that there is no need for milk in anyone's diets, I > think that this is a poor use of energy. I'd like to see the SODA machines > out first! > Sandra > > > > > For more information about vegetarianism, please visit the VRG website at http://www.vrg.org and for materials especially useful for families go to http://www.vrg.org/family. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 8, 2002 Report Share Posted April 8, 2002 Well, these are two entirely different issues. While I think that the soda machines have no place in school, and while I would prefer to see an alternate to milk being offered, I think that for the children who rely on school food and milk for nutrition, taking it away isn't right. The issue of schools being required to give the children milk, despite parental objection, isn't the same. Personally, I would pull my child from any school that circumvented my instructions that way. Sandra > Both should go. I have a friend who was trying to raise her daughter vegan. > The public school she went to kept insisting on giving her a container of > milk with each meal even though she told them that her daughter should not > have milk (she was actually allergic to milk and would get a bad case of > eczema if she drank it, although the daughter knew not to drink it). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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