With the start of the 2022-2023 school year, East has chosen to stop selling sugary sodas in the snack shack along with all vending machines only selling the diet and zero sugar versions. 

This was a bad decision considering how much I love the original sugary sodas, but this change doesn’t just affect our school. Other schools in the district are under the effect of the change to diet and zero sugar soda.

The reasoning behind this change is based on health concerns about the effects of regular soda; however, diet versions of soda including zero sugar have been found to cause more negative effects on human health. 

“Diet and regular sodas have both been linked to obesity, kidney damage, and certain cancers,” medical journalist Salynn Boyles said. 

Sodas may not have much health impact, but energy drinks do -e specially on children and teens. Monster energy drinks are unhealthy which makes this part of the change understandable, but still displeasing. With most of students’ favorite drinks no longer being sold, the school should expect a drop in revenue because not as many people will buy the drinks now available. 

This change will make lots of students angry or at least displeased at the limited variety of drink options. Worst of all, the change the school made will not have the effect it was intended to have because the school can’t enforce this change or diet on students out of school.

 I feel that schools should let the students choose what kind of sugary drinks they want, considering that all sugary drinks have at least a few negative effects on human health. Even with the negative effects on health that sugary drinks have, these kinds of drinks themselves won’t cause harm if someone chooses to manage its effects. 

The school should continue selling monster and regular sodas rather than diet and zero sugar, not only because diet and zero sugar aren’t healthier, but also because sugary drinks taste better and lots of people rely on those kinds of drinks to wake up and be productive in school. 

Sure, the school changed its menu because of concerns for the overall health of the students, but they should go back on this change because it won’t affect students’ habits out of school which will negate any healthy changes.