Major soft drink companies, giving in to immense public pressure to help curb child obesity rates, announced Wednesday they will no longer vend carbonated beverages in elementary and middle schools, and will vend only diet drinks in high schools starting in the 2008-09 school year.

Hill didn't take the news well, but acknowledged she can adapt.

"I'll probably just buy a water or juice instead."

That's what the Alliance for a Healthier Generation wants to hear. The alliance helped broker new guidelines that would reduce the number of calories students consume while at school. The calorie and portion size changes will be implemented at 75 percent of schools by the 2008-09 school year, and fully implemented by 2009-10 year, as long as school districts amend their current contracts.

"This is fabulous news. I couldn't be more thrilled," said Rep. Patricia Jones, D-Salt Lake City, who has tried unsuccessfully for five years to pass such a law in the Legislature.

A study by The Future of Children, conducted by Princeton University and the Brookings Institution, suggests a link between consumption of sweetened beverages, such as soda and sweet beverages, and obesity in preschoolers. In fifth-graders, the correlation exists between soda consumption and being overweight.

Jones sees Wednesday's announcement as advancing her cause, but she would still like to stop schools from vending candy and stop chains such as Taco Bell and Pizza Hut from selling lunches in school cafeterias.

Initially, Jones wanted to keep vending machines out of elementary schools because the revenue hit would be too great in high schools, which depend on a percentage of soda and snack sales to fund several programs not funded by districts or the state. However, she says new research suggests schools shouldn't lose money because students likely would still buy the healthier options.

Garett Muse, principal of Cottonwood High School in Holladay, says the school brings in about $40,000 a year between soda and snack sales. He realizes soda is not a healthy choice for students but adds if they can't get it at school, they'll do so off-campus anyway. He hopes students instead will choose the healthier options that will be available in the former soda machines for both students' health and the school's funds. Several districts across the state, including Granite and Jordan, have changed their health policies to cut down or eliminate soda sales at schools. However, most schools will continue to vend snacks, ranging from baked chips to candy bars.

Money from the vending machines pays for programs ranging from graduation to football to certificates for students on the honor roll.

"If people were to tell us to cut fluff, it would be special programs that can't really be cut," Muse said. "That money will have to come from somewhere."

Most high schools bring in between $40,000 and $50,000 per year from vending machines, while middle school receipts range between $20,000 and $25,000.

However, some schools are exceptions, such as Olympus High School in Cottonwood Heights, which estimates its take from vending machines at about $10,000. Several students participate on athletic teams and don't generally buy carbonated beverages, principal Paul Hansen said. In addition, many students take classes off campus , giving them more opportunities to pick up a soda at a drive-through rather than at the school.

Regardless of the numbers, Rachel Cox, a Utah Department of Health registered dietician, is excited for the potential health benefits for students.

"We think childhood obesity has to do with a lot of different factors. Home is a big factor, but kids are in schools a good chunk of the day and week, and the environment there affects their choices," Cox said.

For students such as Brittney Pettersson, a classmate of Hill's at Centerville Junior High, the change won't affect her drinking habits. The 13-year-old has never been a fan of carbonation, often preferring water or lemonade.

However, she does wonder how it will affect her school.

"I don't think they should ban soda because kids really like it, and selling pop gets schools money," Pettersson said. "But it could make kids healthier because they wouldn't be drinking so much sugar."

smcfarland@sltrib.com

The deal

Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the American Beverage Association agreed to the following:

* In elementary schools, they will vend only water, 8-ounce, calorie-capped juices with no sweeteners and fat-free or low-fat milks. Middle schools will follow the same guidelines with a 10-ounce size restriction.

l In high schools, they will vend diet soda and 12-ounce servings of light juices and sports drinks, none of which will exceed 100 calories per container. Juices will also be served in 12-ounce sizes.