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Governments Should Require Soft Drink Companies to:
- Cease all marketing of sugar-laden and/or caffeinated beverages to children under 16, including print and broadcast advertising, product placement, Internet advertising, mobile phone messages, athletic event sponsorship, signage, packaging promotions, merchandising, and other means.
- Stop selling sweetened beverages, including sports drinks and fruit-flavored beverages and teas, in all public and private elementary, middle, and high schools; acceptable beverages in schools include water from drinking fountains and cafeteria taps, seltzer (carbonated) water, and fruit juice in container sizes of 250 ml or less.
- Prominently display the calorie content, per serving, of all beverages on the fronts of containers and the outer labels of multi-container packages, along with the number of servings per bottle or can as part of a comprehensive labeling system utilizing simple and uniform symbols to convey nutritional value. Sugary beverages should also include rotating consumer alerts such as “High sugar - drink only occasionally” or “For occasional consumption. Drink water to quench thirst.”
- Limit sponsorships promoting physical activity and health to contributions to “blind” trusts overseen by government agencies that use such funds for programs that do not feature corporate logos, brands, or other proprietary information.
- Increase the promotion of new lower-sugar products to adults, and sell existing high sugar products in smaller portions.
- Pay a small sales, value added tax, or other fiscal assessment on soft drinks, that would be returned to consumers through the provision of physical activity and nutrition education programs, and through subsidies that reduce the costs of fruits and vegetables.
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