We wanted to help create a healthy environment for students and help them learn healthy behaviors. A cookie is not bad for you, but if you have three cookies for lunch, it is not a good thing.

Events like this really help promote a safe environment. We're trying to prepare students for what can happen.

They are better able to focus on their studies in the afternoon.

Thirty or 40 years ago, we thought smoking was a fine thing to do. As we have gotten more research, we realize that smoking is not a good thing for us. We realize that obesity is not a good thing for us. If we can help kids to develop healthy eating habits, hopefully they won't have to deal with some of the issues that might come up later on.

Because of the sugar, no carbonated beverage, no soda can be sold to the kids. If the school chooses to have a soda machine, they can do that as long as the kids don't have access to it 30 minutes before the school day and 30 minutes after the school day.

We felt like a statewide policy would create a more consistent policy across the state. We will all be moving in the same direction. We realize that this is not an easy thing for folks to change. It's going to take a while.