What students will drink often determines their habits as adults. One person I met who lived as an adult in Ecuador and got used to drinking coke because of the limited fresh water supply or lack of bottled water. Today he drinks a glass of coke a day. He is an adult though and is able to decide for himself, unlike underprivileged children who are being raised on coke because of constant shortages of fresh water.
An abundant supply of Coke is being offered in relief programs to provide drinkable fluids in countries that have a limited fresh water drinking supply. African children have been photographed as being exultant over the arrival of coke to their countries. Is it right for them to consume such a large amount of coke rather than other fluids during their growing years?
One can only surmise that the advent of that relief program is only commercial, that the giant beverage company is only looking for an eventual market but it may be argued that with an excess production of coke, it would be possible for a company the size of Coca-Cola to afford such a donation without feeling any economic pinch. The children are happy and they like the taste of Coke.
After all the company is all over the world, the word coke is the most popular word in the world and the company has done well to invest in other foods over the years. I am just sceptical over the readily available amount of coke instead of a juice like V-8, which has nutritional value, and one can see it is made up of a mixture of vegetables that provide a source of vitamins.
Coke on the other hand provides a kick in the morning, if you take it instead of coffee but what about the nutritional side? Also since vending machines are being removed from schools in North America, so that kids consume less pop and drink more nutritional drinks, why would there be an abundance of coke to children in countries that could also benefit from nutritional programs?
I think we should take a stand on allowing more nutritional juices to countries that are needy and inform their inhabitants about nutritional choices!
