Candy is out, pop and chocolate bars remain.

City council voted Tuesday to pull the plug on candy machines in city recreation facilities and keep cold drink machines as well as ones that offer up chips, chocolate bars and other snacks.

“I’m very disappointed we left vending machines in there with sugary drinks,” Coun. Jesse Helmer, board chairperson for the Middlesex-London Health Unit, said of the decision.

He pointed out the city prohibits the sale of bottled water at city-owned arenas, buildings and other sites “but we allow bottled beverages that are worse than water.”

Helmer commented after a confusing series of votes on a recommendation by city council’s community and protective services committee to hold a public meeting on a staff recommendation to remove pop and candy vending machines from city-owned recreation facilities.

Following debate that touched on giving parents the right to choose and the need to promote healthy diet habits in children, council voted 7-6 to remove candy machines from city facilities.

A motion to remove pop machines was defeated 7-6.

Coun. Maureen Cassidy led the charge against pop machines.

“I contend the machine itself is advertising, it is marketing to kids,” she said.

“Overwhelmingly it is children that use these. I don’t want to tell parents how to parent . . . but the mandate of these facilities is to promote health and the well being of the community.”

Coun. Paul Hubert said parents who bring their children to the city’s hockey rinks should have choice when it comes to drinks and snacks.

“I have spent a lot of time in hockey rinks, it’s the role of parents to educate but I think choice should be available,” said Hubert, who voted to keep the pop vending machines.

Coun. Bill Armstrong called for a public meeting on the issue, but that motion was defeated.

“We need to take our time and think this out,” he said. “Vending machines can dispense many things. It is important to hear from the public.”

Armstrong said the city allows beer to be bought at golf courses.

City staff recommended removing all cold beverage and candy vending machines from city recreational facilities when the current contract ends.

Staff also proposed an education campaign to inform the public on health issues, and promote the benefits of tap water.

Dr. Chris Mackie. Middlesex-London medical officer of health, has called for the elimination of sugary drinks as a simple step toward a healthier community and spoke with politicians last summer about their health risks.

Health unit research, noted in the city staff report, found that in 2015, 40,500 beverages — mostly soft drinks, juice and iced tea — were sold from rec centre vending machines.

Bill Coxhead, director parks and recreation for the city, said city staff will look for healthier options to put in drink machines when the current contract expires in March.

“We will endeavour to do that, that is what we heard,” from council, he said.

The machines, owned by private companies, earn the city about $47,000 annually.

ndebono@postmedia.com

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