Policy, Research and Unique Partnerships: How One Maine County Eliminated Sugary Beverage Scoreboards on School Owned Property

Introduction: Non-nutritious food and beverage marketing (FBM) in schools reinforces marketing outside of school and conflicts with the purpose and values of education.  Maine schools, like most US schools, are rife with FBM.  Approach: Through the effort of public health advocates, Maine passed the first statewide law to prohibit advertising of specific types of junk food on school property in 2007.  However, subsequent research conducted on the impact of the state law in Maine high schools found that 63% of school scoreboards still contained prohibited sugary beverage advertising.  The Cumberland Public Health Council Obesity Work Group, in Cumberland County Maine, partnered with public health advocates and the beverage industry to identify and replace all non-compliant school owned scoreboard advertising throughout the county at no cost to schools.  Results:  As a result of the statewide policy, public health advocates were able to enlist the support of school administrators and the beverage industry to work together to comply with the law.  Ten schools in eight school districts were found to have non-compliant score boards.  All schools now have water products advertised in place of the sugary beverages.  Discussion:  In order to improve school nutrition environments, a statewide policy prohibiting junk food advertising is a critical first step. Public health advocates and researchers can work together to identify the weaknesses of the law.  Creating community partnerships that include the beverage industry can help schools comply with the law, at no cost and with minimal effort required of school administrators.