UPDATE: Davis Passes “Milk or Water First” Kids’ Meals Policy

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Previously: California has been a leader in creating and enacting policies that encourage individuals and organizations to cut down on sugary drinks. The city of Davis, California, which has a Latino population around 12%, is continuing the trend by moving forward with a policy that would require milk to be the default beverage choice in kids’ meals rather than soda.

The city ordinance could require all of Davis’ 120-plus restaurants to offer milk or water first.

First 5 Yolo, a county organization that advocates for children’s health, is working with Davis leaders to craft the legislation. They envision the policy playing out like this: a restaurant server would ask the parent ordering if they would like milk or water with the kids’ meal. Parents would have to specifically request a soda or juice.

According to an article in the Sacramento Bee, about one-quarter of Davis students in fifth, seventh and ninth grades are obese, and city officials point to sugary drinks a main culprit.

Read more in this news article.

May 2015 Update: The city ordinance was approved, making Davis the first jurisdiction in the country to ensure that default beverages on restaurant children’s menus are water or milk, and not soda or other sugary drinks.

Read the full-text of the bill here.