Content area
Full Text
YES
There are better alternatives
BY LUCILLE HOLLANDER
THERE HAS BEEN A HUGE lapse of logic concerning the use of water bottles by students in classrooms-even when school after school and parent after parent, voice valid safety concerns about the practice.
No one denies that good hydration, like good nutrition, helps students do their best. But just as you wouldn't allow a third-grader to call and order in pizza in the middle of math under the guise of nutrition, there is no need to permit water bottles in the classroom when they present hazards and liability concerns. For younger students, the bottles can represent an opportunity for water play, creating a slippery possibility of falls. For older students, the problems are more ominous: Schools have expressed concerns because some students have used their water bottles to smuggle alcohol into classrooms. And for all students, there are health hazards associated with misuse of water bottles. Some students will reuse the one-use bottles, and other students will neglect cleanliness in multiple-use bottles. This sets up the possibility of illness because bacteria from saliva and handling can get into the...