Push in American Samoa for junk free schools

Transcript

There is a push in American Samoa to introduce a law which prohibits the sale of junk food close to schools.

The director of education, Dr Salu Hunkin-Finau, raised the issue as the two Samoas try to promote healthier eating habits to reduce the numbers of non-communicable diseases.

Our correspondent in Pago Pago, Monica Miller, says the proposal has been met with some criticism by the public, who say it should be parents, not the government, who control what children are eating.

MONICA MILLER: There was a meeting about ways to combat non communicable diseases, and every year the two health sectors (Samoa and American Samoa) and coalitions from the community get together and review plans and also come up with recommendations on different ways to try and combat and control the high rate of people especially in American Samoa that are afflicted with heart disease, with hypertension and so forth. So the director of education was talking about how schools in American Samoa serve meals, they serve breakfast and lunch. And she said that for the large majority of children this is the only balanced meal that they get. And she suggested that there is still a lot of easy access to junk food, there's so many, there's a lot of junk food available to children. And one way she came up with, she suggested to try and control access to junk food, is come up with a law that would prohibit stores within 200 feet of school campuses from selling junk food. I don't know how well that's going to go down. And I just from the response that we have had since we aired that story, people have said that hey this is a free country and really parents have to do their job of educating their kids about healthy process. But as far as coming up with a law like that they don't think it is going to go.

MARY BAINES: Is junk food available in schools to buy, or is it being brought in from outside?

MM: We do know of canteens on school campuses that they carry soda, they carry chocolate and chips. And then some teachers are also known to sell these types of foods to raise money for various clubs in the schools.

MB: So teachers are actually selling junk food in classrooms?

MM: That's the reports that we are getting. Not just the teachers but some clubs in the high schools. You know now and then they have special fundraisers, and that's available.

MB: The idea of a new law was raised - but do you think it's going to actually be pushed ahead?

MM: She made that statement. There were lawmakers that were part of this coalition that participated at the NCD conference from American Samoa. And you know it just remains to be seen whether it's going to go through.