An agreement between a national health alliance and beverage giants could mean the end of sugar-laden pop in Lincoln Public Schools’ 230 vending machines.

The nation’s largest beverage distributors agreed to stop selling non-diet sodas to most public schools, a move that would be most noticeable in LPS high schools, said Marybell Avery, curriculum specialist for health and physical education.

“I think (there would be) a major effect because (students are) accustomed to having access to sugary drinks, primarily after school,” she said.

In elementary schools, vending machines are found only in teachers’ lounges. High schools and middle schools have vending machines, although most middle school machines are turned on after school.

It’s too early to say exactly how the agreement will affect offerings in Lincoln’s schools, said LPS Purchasing Director Dwayne Odvody.

The district will have to discuss the agreement with its vendors, he said.

“I think we’re always interested in what’s best for the students,” he said. That includes balancing healthy choices with what students want, he said.

The deal announced Wednesday by the William J. Clinton Foundation involves guidelines agreed upon by Cadbury Schweppes, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and the American Beverage Association.

The guidelines would limit portion sizes and reduce the number of calories available to children during the school day.

They came as a result of work by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation — a joint initiative of the Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association.

Avery said the agreement fits with a new wellness policy LPS is drafting. As part of that work, district officials are coming up with a set of “best practices” that includes offering only healthy selections in vending machines.

“This is big news,” she said. “I’m glad the alliance is using its political clout to make some of these things happen.”

Reach Margaret Reist at 473-7226 or mreist@journalstar.com.