by Share On Social!
The Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation and Westwood Unidos are collaborating on a campaign aimed at Latino families and Latino youth to show that tap water is safe to drink daily. The Cavities Get Around campaign is an initiative of The Delta Dental of Colorado Foundation, hoping to eradicate childhood tooth decay and improve oral health for children.
According to recent studies, Latino kids ages 0-5 consumption of sugary drinks is higher than the overall average.
Rumors of how the tap water may be safe in the Westwood neighborhood has caused many Latino families to believe that the tap water is unsafe to drink. Also, many families are immigrants and are not used to drinking water directly out of the sink, explained Jessica Mahaffey, a marketing specialist for Denver Water in a recent article.
Mahaffey leads tours of the Denver Water utility, showing Westwood families and community leaders that tap water is safe, purified and tested in the area, coming fresh from the mountains. Now health promoters like Gaby Medina are helping tell schools, churches and the community that tap water is the safest and most affordable way to drink water.
The concern for safe drinking water is high for underserved Latino families according to a recent study. Many Latino families spend money on bottled water, thinking that it is cleaner, safer and healthier than tap water. According to the same study, 14 percent of Latino respondents reported having to sacrifice other goods in order to afford bottled water.
Health risks like obesity, diabetes and cavities can increase when Latino families offer children sugary juices or sodas rather than clean, free tap water.
To learn more about the health risks for Latino youth and sugary beverages, click here.
By The Numbers
1
Supermarket
for every Latino neighborhood, compared to 3 for every non-Latino neighborhood
