The school vending machines contain only diet or zero calorie pop. To me, this sounds like the school is trying to force students to make healthy choices. That’s probably why there’s healthier foods now in the cafeteria for lunch, but what business does the school have in choosing what foods or drinks we have for lunch? It’s our choice, so let us make it.

It is said that regular pop will cause us to become fat because of all the extra calories. So is that why the school only gives us the option of buying “healthier” pop? I bet they didn’t even think about looking at the ingredients.

Both regular and diet pops are GMOs, Genetically Modified Organisms. Genetically Modified Organisms have genetically altered genes that are supposed to produce desired results unnaturally. According to responsibletechnology.org, GMOs have shown to cause organ damage and immune system disorders. That is horrible! Who wants that? But on top of that, diet and zero calorie pops contain an extremely dangerous sweetener called Aspartame.

Aspartame is a common sweetener used in most diet and zero calorie pops, as well as other products. The reason why it’s so dangerous is because aspartame contains numerous ingredients that are immensely deadly, including Methanol, a.k.a. wood alcohol/poison. Yeah, that’s right. POISON!

According to mercola.com, Methanol is the major cause of death for alcoholics, and those who survive most likely become blind. Symptoms of aspartame include, but are not limited to, headaches, migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, muscle spasms, rashes, insomnia, vision problems, hearing loss, anxiety attacks, vertigo, memory loss, oh, and guess what? WEIGHT GAIN!!! If the school thinks that regular pop is going to make us gain weight, look at diet pop. Because diet and zero calorie pop is a GMO product and contains aspartame, students will gain even more weight than before!

Other ingredients include Phenylalanine and Apartic Acid, which are both amino acids. Too much phenylalanine cause abnormal brian function and brain damage because because there is too much in the brain. Aspartic Acid kills brain cells, and can cause chronic health problems, such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, dementia, Alzheimer’s, and much more.

The school always talks about how we need to make our own decisions in life, so why are they limiting our choices?  Besides water, we should at least have the choice between regular and diet pop, or something healthy like vitamin drinks. The only option we have now is diet or zero calories pop if we don’t want plain water.  This limited choice will most likely have a change on what we choose to drink. We will choose what is at our disposal because it’s easier to get what’s in a vending machine, rather than going to the gas station and getting something different to bring to school. It will turn out to make a difference in our lives.

As students, we can’t allow that to happen. It is our right to fight against GMOs and aspartame, and we can choose to boycott the “Aspartame Machines” if that’s what we want. Next time you want a drink, think about how pop can cause you to get cancer, Parkinson’s disease, or even make you epileptic. As Flannery O’Connor said, “The life you save may be your own.” For more information about aspartame, GMOs, and any other health issues, go to mercola.com. Let’s make our decisions wisely.