Rep. Elise Stefanik's "Defending College Milk Decisions Act of 2022 says colleges "shall supply college students flavored and unflavored milk" and likewise "might" supply college students lactose-free milk.
Tom Brenner/Bloomberg through Getty Photos
Allow them to drink chocolate milk!
That’s the message upstate New York Rep. Elise Stefanik is sending to health-conscious Mayor Eric Adams in his quest to ban the beloved drink from colleges.
The Republican from Plattsburgh has launched federal laws that will require all colleges to supply chocolate milk after listening to that theBig Apple mayor — who follows a plant-based food regimen — desires to ban the dairy product from metropolis cafeterias due to what he deems unhealthy sugar content material.
Stefanik’s “Defending College Milk Decisions Act of 2022 says colleges “shall supply college students flavored and unflavored milk” and likewise “might” supply college students lactose-free milk.
“Mayor Adams fails to know that scrumptious, flavored milk is what number of of our youngsters entry the important vitamins in dairy for his or her improvement and that taking choices away from kids is just not the reply,” stated Stefanik, who represents dairy farmers within the North County.
“Let our New York college students drink chocolate milk!”
A current survey commissioned by the Worldwide Dairy Meals Affiliation discovered that 90 p.c of New York Metropolis voters with children in public faculty assist together with low-fat flavored milk in public faculty meals. Nationally, 85 p.c of fogeys really feel the identical.
Different New York lawmakers have additionally soured on Adams’ marketing campaign.
Final week, 9 members of New York’s Home delegation despatched Adams a letter urging him to not ban chocolate milk in colleges — together with Democrats Grace Meng, of Queens, Antonio Delgado, who represents elements of the Hudson Valley, and Sean Patrick Maloney, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee.
Republicans, together with Stefanik, Reps. Lee Zeldin, Claudia Tenney, Chris Jacobs, Tom Reed and John Katko, additionally joined the push.
Chocolate milk supporters have trigger for concern about Adams turning into the brand new well being nanny — akin to former Mayor Mike Bloomberg, who sought to ban the sale of enormous sugary drinks, succeeded in outlawing trans fat in eating places and nixed smoking in bars, eating places and different public locations.
Adams, the previous Brooklyn borough president who switched to a principally vegan food regimen after being recognized with diabetes and has already ordered up plant-based meals as soon as in every week in colleges, posted a “Do the Math” video in 2019 in assist of a proposal for town Division of Training to scrap chocolate milk due to its sugary content material.
Within the video presentation, the then-Brooklyn borough president confirmed how a lot sugar was in a big glass of chocolate milk. The video stated one cup of the candy beverage incorporates three to 4 teaspoons of added sugar.
“Chocolate milk is loaded with additional sugar and causes kind 2 diabetes and weight problems and different well being points,” Adams stated just lately.
“But we proceed to serve it. As an alternative of serving our youngsters drinks that set them up for a lifetime of well being issues, we must be giving them higher choices, corresponding to water.”
However supporters stated two-thirds of milk served at school is flavored and argued that chocolate milk affords vitamins corresponding to calcium, vitamin D and potassium and outweighs acceptable ranges of sugar consumption.
The lawmakers additionally stated eliminating chocolate milk will simply result in extra milk waste as a result of fewer children will drink common milk.
Adams’ workplace had no touch upon the Stefanik laws blocking a ban on faculty milk.
An Adams spokesperson final week stated it was reviewing the letter from the congressional delegation and stated “we are going to make a willpower of what's greatest for our college students.”
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