East Greenwich Coke deal rejected, not sweet enough
2:51 PM Wed, Jun 17, 2009 | Permalink
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EAST GREENWICH, R.I. -- Despite concerns from the state Health Director, the School Committee is moving ahead with plans to sell exclusive rights for the brands of beverages that will be sold at the concession stand at the high school's new ball fields. But probably not with Coca-Cola. The decision Tuesday night came after the health director, Dr. David Gifford, asked the committee to reject a proposal from the soft-drink giant that would permit only its products to be sold on school property for the next five years, in exchange for $5,000. The agreement "sends a message that it's okay to make profit from a product that is not healthy and not good," Gifford said, noting that "one in three high school students is overweight or obese, and soda is one of the biggest contributing factors to that." The committee decided it didn't like the Coke deal, but not necessarily for health reasons. Some members thought they could get a bigger payout elsewhere. "It's a moneymaker. I think we can do better," said member Robert J. Durant, who wanted to know if Pepsi had been approached. The deal was negotiated by the Fields Construction Committee, the same group that started building the new fields before it got approval from the Department of Environmental Management on how to water them. The agreement gives Coca-Cola almost complete freedom to raise its prices each year, requires the school to advertise Dasani water on its scoreboard, says the school must sell an unspecified amount of its products, and prohibits the school department from trying to associate the high school, its property or any of its sports teams with any competing product. The agreement would also prohibit the school from releasing the terms of the contract. Coca-Cola is trying to cut a deal because "they want to get individuals used to using a product at a very early age," said Gifford. "If you can get children used to it, it develops brand loyalty and it becomes very profitable over time." The chief opponent of the plan on the seven-member committee was Gifford's wife, Deidre, who is also a physician, and said Coca-Cola is "bribing us with $5,000 for our concession stand. They know kids develop drink preferences very early in life, just like they do for fast food preferences." State law prohibits the sale, during school of hours, "of almost all the beverages on this list," she said. Concession stand sales on school grounds is legal to raise money, she acknowledged, "but the main point is, these beverages are prohibited from being served to our children during the school day. It sends a very inconsistent message to kids if we sell this stuff after school and say, 'You can't drink it from 7:30 to 2, but at 2:01, drink up.'" She said her research has revealed "a ton" of healthier beverages that could be sold at the concession stand. "We should say, 'See you later Coca-Cola' and go with one of these healthy drink vendors and see what kind of deal they're going to give us, and have these beverages conform to what we have to sell between 7:30 and 2." Outgoing Supt. Charles Meyers agreed with Durant, that the department could probably get a better deal from someone else, but also acknowledged that "We should probably set a good example. There are probably other vendors out there we can deal with." gemery@projo.com / (401) 277-7442 
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