Ohio moves to restrict soda and sugary drinks from SNAP benefits

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is moving forward with a ban on carbonated, sugary drinks from food assistance programs.

The cost of groceries adds up.

“I remember being the kid in elementary school who had lunches that were a bit hodgepodge, or didn’t have the same types of meals that other people did,” Ohioan Lis Regula said.

This is why Regula said he was grateful to get some help from the government when he was growing up.

“It is still a crucial gap-fill for [people] to be able to meet their family’s nutritional needs,” he said.

He was one of the around 1.5 million Ohioans using food stamps, or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), to help buy groceries.

But DeWine’s SNAP working group wants to make some restrictions.

The state-led coalition of health and business leaders just released a report recommending that Ohio ban SNAP benefits from being used for pop or energy drinks — carbonated beverages high in sugar or drinks with sweeteners.

“I don’t think we should have a policy in this state where we are essentially subsidizing diabetes in children by buying pop with food stamps,” House Finance Chair Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, said during the budget process in the spring.

Stewart and the GOP put a similar type of provision in the state budget, but DeWine vetoed it, saying the language was too broad.

“Ohio should restrict beverages that list sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or similar caloric sweeteners as the primary ingredient or as the second ingredient if the first ingredient is carbonated water, as displayed on an individual product’s Nutrition Facts label regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration…” the workgroup report states. “Importantly, this definition does not exclude foods that support nutrition.”

Democrats thought it could impact juices or drinks like Gatorade. These would be carved out under the proposed policy.

“Overly broad restrictions could limit access to products essential for infants, individuals at nutritional risk, and those recovering from illness or surgery,” the report states, indicating that products like Pedialyte would still be covered.

The working group was meant to not just evaluate the idea, but also help with a federal waiver request, which would allow Ohio to restrict SNAP.

The language was modeled after several other states’ waivers.

If approved, Ohio would join 12 other states like Texas and Florida in restricting soda pop.

“I support not using SNAP to purchase these beverages,” DeWine said in July.

Regula said this infringes on personal liberty and could increase stigma for kids whose families make less money.

“It keeps a kid from being able to have soda at their birthday party,” he said. “What really is the point of that?”

Stewart argued that this is meant to promote health and responsibility.

“When you’re using the taxpayers’ money to buy your food, I think taxpayers have an ability to say, ‘We’re not going to buy junk food with it,'” Stewart said.

DeWine’s spokesperson said that the office is in the process of formalizing the waiver soon, as the deadline is in late October.

The governor is also looking into a waiver that would allow for prepared chicken to be available with SNAP benefits.

Right now, consumers can only buy cold chicken; the workgroup recommended asking to allow for hot rotisserie chicken.

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This article was originally published on News5Cleveland.com and is published in the Ohio Capital Journal under a content-sharing agreement. Unlike other OCJ articles, it is not available for free republication by other news outlets as it is owned by WEWS in Cleveland.