A lawsuit will be filed against the soft drinks industry to get their products out of public schools, according to an account carried by www.Beverage Daily.com.
An attorney, Richard Daynard, who was involved in the tobacco company litigation and settlements, told the electronic news outlet the suit is ready to be filed though the jurisdiction and timing remained uncertain.
And a study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine speculated lawsuits would be the best way to address the perceived "obesity problem." Apparently, the Center for Science in the Public interest is also preparing to file obesity lawsuits against soft drinks companies.
A group of parents are suing the television network Viacom and cereal maker Kellogg for promoting junk food to children. Several states have already passed laws or are contemplating laws to improve nutrition in schools.
In the meantime, soft drinks companies in Europe are bowing to pressure from the EU and will voluntarily end advertising their products to children, will pull them out of schools and will include more complete nutritional information on their labels.
Source: American Beverage Licensees Leader, March, 2006, published monthly by Continental Communications, 800-406-5698, 125 W. Granite St., Suite 102, Butte, MT 59701.