POP QUIZ: SHOULD SODAS BE CANNED? BILL WOULD BANISH ON-CAMPUS SALES.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

CANOGA PARK - They can make kids fat, weaken teens' bones, prompt poor nutrition, and increase deaths and health care costs from the bulge beneath the belt.

The villain: soft drinks, according to the claims of California legislators who now aim to ban sodas from K-12 campuses throughout the state.

The California Childhood Obesity Prevention Act - until last week a politically distasteful proposal to tax sodas in order to pay schools to stop selling pop - would now purge them altogether.

``Throughout this process, I have heard over and over the message that, 'If soda is so bad for kids, just ban it!''' says a statement from state Sen. Deborah Ortiz, D-Sacramento, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services and author of the controversial measure known as SB 1520.

``They're right, so that's just what we'll do.''

The bill, amended last week, would bar the sale of carbonated beverages from elementary schools in January 2004, middle schools in 2005 and high schools in 2007. It is scheduled to be heard next week by the Senate Education Committee.

The reason for the ban, according to the bill's authors:

--30 percent of children in California are overweight or obese, and 77 percent of fifth-, seventh- and ninth-grade students can't pass physical fitness standards.

--Each can of nonnutritional soda increases a child's risk of obesity by 60 percent, according to a study.

--Ninth- and 10th-grade girls who drink sodas are three times more likely to develop bone fractures; five times more likely for those who drink colas.

But restricting the sale of such national standbys as Coke and Pepsi from school campuses would also gut a significant source of funding for schools and student body activities.

Soft-drink industry officials oppose the bill and fought passage of another bill last year that regulated the sale of sodas to elementary school students.

``Banning soft drinks in schools will do absolutely nothing to help the obesity problem,'' said Sean McBride, spokesman for the National Soft Drinks Association. ``Sen. Ortiz's effort to improve the health of California children is commendable, but off the mark.

``Soft drinks are a refreshing beverage that makes no nutritional claims, but also have a place in our healthy lifestyle.''

Across the nation, an estimated $150 million in soft drink sales is used to fund schools, McBride said.

In Los Angeles, millions are raised each year from the clink of coins into soda vending machines at more than 600 campuses. Proceeds from such sales, officials say, fund athletic uniforms, musical instruments, field trips and such after-school programs as the Academic Decathlon.

At Canoga Park High School, scores of students lined up Friday for Coca- Cola products during an International Day festival lunch.

``Let me tell you, if they take these soda machines away, you'll stop all student activities,'' said Assistant Principal Nancy C. Delgado.

``If they begin to go after our fast and junk food, they'll completely wipe us out.''

Canoga Park High vending machine contracts last year netted $82,900 for the student body fund for athletic uniforms, the campus newspaper, Academic Decathlon team and other Hunters programs. Of that, $24,700 was generated from the sale of plastic bottled sodas and $3,000 from canned pop from the Coca-Cola Co.

The remainder was earned from the sale of Powerade, Fruitopia, snacks and candy.

Such sales, Delgado said, have eliminated the need for candy bar fund- raisers, magazine drives, wrapping-paper sales and any ``of those awful icky things which do not bring in that kind of money.''

Ortiz's original soda bill would have levied a 2-cent tax on soft drinks in order to raise $342 million a year for schools that agreed to stop selling soda on campus and to pay for nutritional and student physical education programs.

But a flood of e-mails and phone calls prompted Ortiz to revise her plan. For students and teachers at Canoga Park High, the fizz falls flat on an all-out ban on soft drinks.

``It's not fair. What are we going to drink, just water?'' said Paul Landaverde, 15, of Canoga Park as he drained a 20-ounce Cherry Coke, one of up to four he drinks each day.

``If kids want to get fat, fine.''

Others said they prefer the oomph offered by caffeinated drinks over plain ol' agua.

``They've drank all the diet, and I need diet,'' lamented Carole Giacona, a state crew and English teacher, outside one of three soft-drink hubs around the Canoga Park quad.

``Teaching my kids, I'd fall asleep in class without it.''

Others said they weren't up to peddling candy in order to fund school programs.

But state Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, who says he became a Type 2 diabetic by drinking sodas and eating junk food as a child, said it's outrageous that schools promote the sale of junk food in order to fund school programs.

``Junk foods - in particular, soda - are a hazard to kids,'' said Koretz, a co-author of the soda bill alongside state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Los Angeles.

``By having junk food and sodas on campus, we're sending a very wrong message.''

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Photo:

(color) Student Paul Landaverde, 15, left, drinks up to four 20-ounce Cherry Cokes a day from the soda machines widely available at Canoga Park High.

Andy Holzman/Staff Photographer