The Ohio Senate is preparing to take up a proposal that would limit what recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) can purchase, following recent action by the Ohio House of Representatives.
Included in the House-passed state budget is a provision that would prohibit the use of SNAP benefits to buy sugar-sweetened beverages. The proposal, which will be considered by the Senate later this month, has stirred debate about public health, personal freedom, and the use of taxpayer dollars.
House Finance Chairman Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, defended the measure, arguing that public funds should not be used to support unhealthy dietary choices.
“I don’t believe we should have a policy in Ohio where taxpayer money is subsidizing childhood diabetes by allowing the purchase of pop with food stamps,” Stewart said earlier this month.
Under the House plan, “sugar-sweetened beverages” would be defined as drinks containing more than five grams of added sugar, excluding products made primarily of milk, milk substitutes, or beverages with 50% or more fruit or vegetable juice.
If the Senate agrees to the provision, Ohio would still require final approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees SNAP nationally. In recent months, USDA officials have seen a growing number of states seeking to curb unhealthy food options within the program.
Stewart added that the argument over personal freedom should not extend to decisions made with taxpayer-funded benefits.
“When people use their own money, they have the freedom to buy what they want,” Stewart said. “When taxpayer dollars are being used, it’s appropriate for taxpayers to expect some reasonable guidelines—especially when it comes to junk food.”
State Rep. Willis Blackshear Jr., D-Dayton, voiced concerns about the proposal, warning that restrictions could unfairly micromanage the diets of low-income families.
“We shouldn’t be trying to punish or overly regulate SNAP users,” Blackshear said. “We need to focus on broader solutions, not punitive restrictions.”
Currently, SNAP benefits can be used to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy products, breads, cereals, snack foods, non-alcoholic beverages, and seeds and plants for growing food. Federal law already prohibits the use of SNAP funds for alcohol, tobacco, and hot prepared meals.
In addition to the debate at the state level, U.S. Senator Jon Husted, R-Ohio, recently announced his support for similar changes at the federal level. Husted has co-sponsored the Healthy SNAP Act, a bill that would prohibit SNAP recipients nationwide from purchasing junk food items like soft drinks, candy, ice cream, and prepared desserts.
“American taxpayers are footing the bill on both ends of a broken system: first, by subsidizing the consumption of unhealthy, ultra-processed foods, and then again by covering the skyrocketing health care costs caused by the chronic diseases those foods contribute to,” Husted said in a statement. “In effect, we’re paying to make ourselves sick—and then paying again to treat the sickness.”
The federal proposal would require the Secretary of Agriculture to ensure that foods eligible for SNAP benefits promote recipients’ health and reflect current nutrition science and public health priorities.
Whether the proposed state-level and federal changes ultimately become law remains to be seen, but they reflect a growing national discussion about how public assistance programs intersect with public health goals.
