From the December 2005 Idaho Observer:

British schools to enforce food, drink additives ban

Debate ensues over what, exactly, will be banned

"The government ‘is in a muddle’ over its plan to ban fizzy drinks in England’s schools, a Labour MP says," wrote the BBC in a breaking story with huge implications. The British government has already decided to banish from school property a variety of junk foods—such as snacks and drinks containing aspartame and sucralose.

"Denis Murphy MP is concerned some low-calorie sweet drinks could be prohibited under the proposals, and says some ‘common sense’ is needed and has called a Commons debate on Thursday to seek clarification on the proposals from the Education Secretary," the BBC reported.

Murphy is cautious about going overboard. His caution is undoubtedly influenced by junk food venders who are weighing in to oppose their products being banned. "I do think it’s absolutely ridiculous that we may not be able to continue to sell our drinks in schools," said David Charlesworth, deputy managing director, Waters and Robson.

It appears that aspartame activists conducted a successful education campaign in British parliament. This is a huge step toward a ban on aspartame and other poisonous food and beverage additives in other countries.

Ban proposal in New Mexico on similar timeline

The timetable is also convenient for an aspartame ban brewing in New Mexico.

Guidelines for the English school ban are expected to be in final draft form in Spring, 2006 and will go into effect in Sept., 2006. The New Mexico state attorney general will determine by mid-January whether or not a week-long hearing on a proposal to ban aspartame in the state will be held beginning July 6, 2006. Industry advocate the Calorie Control Council and the world’s largest aspartame and monosodium glutamate producer Ajinomoto are treating the pending hearing before the New Mexico Environmental Improvement Board as the trial of the century.

Betty Martini of Mission Possible is hopeful that the first two dominoes are about to tip over and soon the world will make it illegal to sell products containing the neurotoxic drug aspartame.

To follow the developments in England and New Mexico, go to www.wnho.com. To help increase community awareness of an issue that is poised to take the world by storm, help distribute The Artificially Sweetened Times, see page 24. To read a related fable and find where to write the New Mexico attorney general, see page 15.