A couple of weeks ago there was a post about children with dairy allergies
having trouble with schools requiring that they drink milk. In my local
paper last week there was a story about a nation-wide competition sponsored
by the American Dairy Industry.  Elementary schools were to compete for the
most milk consumed. The "winning" schools would receive money for their
bands and cheerleader uniforms.


One of our local private schools was a second place winner. The school had
gone all out to promote this, with an added milk break in the morning,
which they plan to continue, and other incentives for the children to drink
a lot of milk. The school staff were most excited about the dramatic
increase of milk consumption of the children and the accompanying nutrition
classes for which the dairy industry provided materials. Can you imagine
your dairy-sensitive child being in that school and feeling that her not
drinking the milk might jeapordize the school's getting money for the band?
Can you see the looks of the other children and the teachers as she drank
her juice from home?

I would like to see their absence-due-to-illness records for that period of
time.

Why do I keep thinking about cigarettes?  I know that milk can be a "part"
of a good diet--and cigarettes aren't. But there is something disturbing
about this promotion.

Patricia Gima, IBCLC
Milwaukee


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