Students are now able to purchase a variety of diet sodas from the vending machine by the gym after a decision by the Frisco ISD School Health Advisory Committee.

“The SHAC committee updated the district’s wellness guidelines in November to allow the sale of zero-calorie, diet carbonated beverages, which are fully compliant with federal and state nutritional guidelines,” Assistant Director Communications Department Meghan Cone said via email. “High-sugar and high-calorie beverages are still prohibited.”

The beverages available for purchase include Diet Sunkist, Diet Cherry Dr Pepper, Diet A&W Root Beer, and Diet 7UP.

“I have mixed feelings about it,” nurse Emily Mikeska said. “I like the concept of no sodas at all on campus, but I do think at least with the diet that the sugar content is much better. There is the argument that with the whole aspartame that it necessarily isn’t always a good thing for you either.”

For most of this year, and in years past, students could only buy bottled water or other non-soda drinks in the vending machines but now diet sodas can be purchased for $1.25 each.

“I think that it’s great the school has a vending machine with soda in it because sometimes at school, kids need something that can give them a sense of a break, regardless if it’s something as little as soda,” sophomore Christine Le said. “Also, this could help people that try to buy drinks from the gas stations and skip school or come late.”

Students’ beverage choices are limited to those produced by Dr Pepper Snapple as the district has an exclusive beverage contract with the company.

“The change was definitely overdue because most people don’t enjoy the drinks in the vending machines now but with the soda there’s more options,” sophomore Hailey Castillo said. “I do think students should be able to buy regular sodas because diet sodas are actually bad for people because of all the things in them that make the soda diet.”