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Coloradans can give feedback on the state’s plan to restrict what families can buy with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits at grocery stores at a State Board of Human Services public hearing this Friday, February 6.

The new SNAP Healthy Choice Waiver would block participants from buying soda and other sweetened beverages.

Dayana Leyva, senior policy and advocacy manager for the Provecho Collective, said the waiver would further restrict food choices for people with chronic health conditions like diabetes, who may rely on those beverages to manage their blood sugar levels.

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"And so when you do a blanket restriction on all sugary, sweetened beverages," said Leyva, "you’re essentially impacting people with those unique medical needs and disabilities."

Proponents of the waiver believe it will help address the negative health risks linked with obesity. The waiver does not limit the purchase of any foods.

Provecho and other advocacy partners have created a toolkit, available online at provechocollective.org, to help Coloradans submit comments on the new waiver.

Colorado is already implementing major SNAP changes due to new federal requirements, and Leyva argued the waiver would create more burdens for retailers, especially small, rural, and independent stores.

The waiver expected to cost Colorado’s 3,200 participating SNAP retailers over $38 million in up-front costs, and nearly $17 million each year to ensure they’re in compliance.

"And if the costs prove to be too much on those small independent retailers, we’re looking at potential retailers opting out of offering the program," said Leyva. "Which means now entire communities are left without access to grocery stores."

Leyva said the waiver would also reinforce a persistent stigma associated with food assistance programs by creating two tiers of shoppers at the checkout line, one with choice and one without.

She added that restrictions don’t actually improve access to healthy foods, but there are other proven programs that do.

"Things like the Double Up Food Bucks program, which gives SNAP recipients incentives for purchasing healthy foods," said Leyva. "Or other related programs like SNAP-Ed, which teaches SNAP recipients how to cook healthy meals, and not restricting peoples’ choice."