Welcome to the 2nd Annual International Quit Soda Day, 10/20/2018.
Inaugural International Quit Soda Day mural by Mike Rich of Portland, Maine, 2017
International Quit Soda Day, IQSD, is a day to focus our collective energy on decreasing worldwide consumption of soda and sugary drinks. If we reduce consumption of sugary drinks, we will reverse the escalating rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay that afflict our communities.
We can harness our collective energy to:
1) Challenge friends, family, and neighbors to give up soda and sugary drinks on this global quit date.
2) Challenge hospital administrators, school officials, and community leaders to phase out sugary drinks at their respective institutions. You can find a downloadable sample letter reaching out to administrators in our digital toolkit.
3) Challenge local, state, federal, and global health policy leaders to make clear and strong public announcements about the connection between sugary drinks and increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and tooth decay. Click HERE to view/share a sample letter to the newly appointed Director of the CDC, Dr. Robert Redfield.
4) Build relationships with public health advocates across local, regional, national, and global platforms.
Dr. Kevin Strong at the NCDFREE bootcamp at Harvard Medical School with Anne Kiser, Founding member of Global Health Disrupted, who we have partnered with to bring the DEFEAT SODATRON message to youth in Africa. Click HERE to read more about our work in Africa.
5) Protect youth by educating them on the truth about soda and sugary drinks so they can make an informed decision to choose health over a path to chronic disease.
Dr. Kevin Strong with Operation: #DEFEATSODATRON in collaboration with NYC Health Department. Pictured here with Dr. Aletha Maybank, Deputy Commissioner, NYC Dept of Health and Mental Hygiene and Founding Director of the Center for Health Equity with students at PS 13 and Dunk the Junk rappers, Jay Caron and Mike Be.
6) Think SODA TAX. It is working in Mexico. Click HERE to read on the Mexico soda tax.
7) Celebrate health as an unalienable human rite. Commit to increasing our efforts to protect low income communities and developing nations from preventable chronic diseases.
Global Health Disrupted, in collaboration with Operation: DEFEAT SODATRON, asks Kenyan school children... "Who is ready to QUIT SODA?"
In the spirit of this celebration, we invite you to download, share, and reproduce our posters, coloring pages, and music to promote health in your community. Click HERE to explore the Operation: #DEFEATSODATRON digital toolkit.
Join us on Instagram @dunkthejunk , on twitter @dunkthejunkfood , and on hashtags #InternationalQuitSodaDay #IQSD #DEFEATSODATRON to connect and AMPLIFY.
Operation: #DEFEATSODATRON in Miami at Solbox Fitness with street art mural by @MikeRichDesign @vyalone @Keo_xmen
In our journey towards health equity, social justice, and universal health; we wish you peace, love, and strength.
Operation: #DEFEATSODATRON working with children in the after school program, ASES, in Cathedral City, California.