Res. No. 401 Title Resolution supporting U.S. Senator Charles Schumer's call for increased milk distribution in schools. Body By Council Members Nelson, Quinn, DeBlasio, Felder, Gennaro, Gerson, Sanders, Weprin and Moskowitz Whereas, Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer called on the U.S. Department of Agriculture ("USDA") to start promoting milk vending machines in schools throughout New York State and the country; and Whereas, According to Senator Schumer, despite restricting the availability of junk food in school vending machines to certain hours of the day, State and federal laws are silent with respect to requiring vending machine operators to provide healthy alternatives to foods of minimal nutritional value; and Whereas, The Federal government, under the Child Nutrition Act, and the State should ensure that school vending machines offer healthy alternatives, including milk, to foods of minimal nutritional value; and Whereas, Installing milk vending machines in schools provides a means of improving child nutrition and stimulating the dairy industry; and Whereas, In recent years, teenagers have been consuming considerably more soda than milk, prompting concerns about obesity, tooth decay and decreased calcium intake for growing bones; and Whereas, According to the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), most children and teens do not meet the dietary calcium recommendations that can help build maximum bone mass and protect against osteoporosis; and Whereas, In some New York State high schools that have installed milk vending machines, students are consuming between an average of approximately 200 to 300 gallons of milk per month from the machines; and Whereas, In addition to successful vending machine programs, pilot programs, including Project MOO (Milk Out in the Open), have generated considerable interest in New York State; and Whereas, It has been reported that profits from milk vending machines are allowing some schools to increase club activities and provide college scholarships to seniors; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York supports U.S. Senator Charles Schumer's call for increased milk distribution in schools. BS LS#644 7/18/02 |1013|