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Proponent Testimony on House Bill 360 — Joe Mazzola, Franklin County Public Health (January 21, 2020)

Summary

Proponent testimony on House Bill 360 dated January 21, 2020, to the House Commerce and Labor Committee from Joe Mazzola, health commissioner at Franklin County Public Health and president-elect of the Association of Ohio Health Commissioners (AOHC). He states that AOHC represents the health commissioners of Ohio's 112 local health departments and that HB 360 would require water bottle filling stations in newly constructed school buildings in Ohio. The testimony cites health benefits of water, including that a sugary drink can contain up to 240 calories. It says the bill will likely not increase the cost of new school construction because it revises an existing requirement for water fountains, and it asks for support.

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“Proponent Testimony on House Bill 360 — Joe Mazzola, Franklin County Public Health (January 21, 2020).” Archived at Pandemic Darlings, https://pandemicdarlings.com/source-documents/2020-01-22-commerce-labor-testimony-hb360mazzola-af571b27c5/, SHA-256 26fc6a7c35d96ebd89db6b8881dd58c7c95627d1a20365e3943a96f51a00f205.

Full text

                                                    Proponent Testimony for House Bill 360
                                                                         January 21, 2020
                                                    House Commerce and Labor Committee




Chairwoman Manning, Ranking Member Lepore-Hagan, and members of the
House Commerce and Labor Committee, thank you for the opportunity to offer
proponent testimony for House Bill 360.


My name is Joe Mazzola. I am the health commissioner at Franklin County Public
Health and serve as president-elect of the Association of Ohio Health
Commissioners (AOHC). AOHC is the statewide nonprofit organization that
represents the health commissioners of Ohio’s 112 local health departments.


HB 360 would require water bottle filling stations in newly constructed school
buildings in Ohio. The bill’s sponsors, in their recent testimony before you, cited
the research in support of greater access to water in schools, for its overall health
benefits and its specific benefit in fighting the epidemic of childhood obesity. I
would like to reiterate some of the health benefits, educational and economic
benefits of making water the easy, appealing, and first choice for children and
families as promoted by the state’s Water First for Thirst campaign:
    A 20 oz. sugary drink can contain up to 240 calories and 17 teaspoons of
     sugar? Choosing water is a simple way to cut your sugar intake and
     improve your health.
    For youth especially, being dehydrated can make you feel unfocused and
     tired.
    Tap water is free of charge and free of calories- a great alternative to
     spending money on drinks that are full of calories and sugar.

More broadly, as local health officials, we support any effort to make healthy
choices more available throughout our state and in our local communities. Ohio’s
State Health Improvement Plan (SHIP) identifies physical activity and nutrition as
one our state’s strategic health priorities. In alignment, our local community
health improvement plans, as developed by local health districts and their
community partners, also reflect that priority to address obesity and chronic
diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.


Our school districts take very seriously the health of their students. The good
news about HB 360 is it will likely not increase the cost of new school
construction, because it would revise the existing requirement to incorporate
water filling stations in place of water fountains. We also support this bill for the
added benefit of reducing the waste generated by the consumption of bottled
water.



In conclusion, AOHC asks for your support of House Bill 360. Thank you for the
opportunity to speak with you today. I would be happy to answer any questions.

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