The Rethink Your Drink Campaign is an evidence-based educational campaign designed to inform users about the relationship between sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and increases in rates of overweight and obesity. The program provides nutrition education and recommendations for improving overall health, but specifically emphasizes reducing intake of soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks.  Social marketing as well as direct education materials including curricula and lesson plans, posters, handouts, fact sheets, and recipe cards can be implemented in school and community-based settings. The program aims to educate low-income children and adults about healthy drink options, specifically promoting the consumption of water.

Target Behavior: Healthy Eating

Intervention Type: Direct Education, Social Marketing

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention Branch (NEOPB) developed the Rethink Your Drink Campaign to educate low-income children and adults about sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. The materials were developed and initially tested in English and Spanish to be applicable for the target audiences.  The program was implemented statewide in schools and a variety of community-based settings. The Rethink Your Drink campaign was implemented in schools, both during and after school, and in variety of other settings including child care centers, faith-based organizations, adult rehabilitation centers, SNAP and Head Start offices, farmers’ markets, emergency food assistance sites, job training centers, and extension offices.

Setting: Community, School

Target Audience: Elementary School, Middle School, High School, Parents/Mothers/Fathers, Adults

Race/Ethnicity: All

Rethink Your Drink includes direct education materials and a social marketing campaign to reach low-income adults and children. These intervention components provide information on the health risks associated with sugar-sweetened beverages and promote healthy beverage choices. This intervention can be delivered to English and Spanish-speaking audiences in a variety of settings including schools and other community-based organizations.

All Resources for the Rethink Your Drink campaign are available here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cpns/Pages/RethinkYourDrink-Resources.aspx#RYDFF

Program Resources Include:

• “Choose Health. Drink Water” Poster in English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF)
• Beverages: Make Every Sip Count (For Beverages PDF, click here)
• Drink Label Cards (For Drink Label PDF, click here)
• Certificate of appreciation
• Guide for presenting Rethink Your Drink at fairs and festivals (For Guide PDF, click here)
• Healthy Drinks and Snacks retail signs
• Early childhood nutrition education
• Potter the Otter

All materials and resources for the Rethink Your Drink training are available here: https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cpns/Pages/RethinkYourDrinkTraining.aspx

Materials available at no cost.

In 2013, 50 local projects working with adults and youth measured beverage consumption, with the following results:

• 3 percent decrease in soda consumption by youth;
• 4 percent decrease in fruit drink, sports drink, and punch (not soda) consumption by teens;
• 6 percent decrease in SSB consumption by adults

Classification: Practice-tested

Based on the SNAP-Ed Evaluation Framework, the following outcome indicators can be used to evaluate intervention progress and success.

	Readiness and Capacity – Short Term (ST)	Changes – Medium Term (MT)	Effectiveness and Maintenance – Long Term (LT)	Population Results (R)
Individual	ST1	MT1
Environmental Settings
Sectors of Influence		MT12

In 2013, NEOPB conducted a statewide evaluation of diet and physical activity practices among youth, teens, and adults in California. The primary outcomes were fruit and vegetable consumption (F&V), and sugar-sweetened beverage intake. These outcomes were measured in 12,932 youth and adults participating in the SNAP-Ed programs. The Food Behavior Checklist (FBC), the Fruit and Vegetable Checklist (FVC), the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), and the Network Youth Survey were used.

These evaluation materials are used to assess the impact of all NEOPB campaigns and programs collectively and the individual impact of the Rethink Your Drink campaign cannot be independently assessed. However, it is noted on the CDPH website that “Rethink Your Drink messages are integrated into all of the NEOPB nutrition education campaigns and programs.”

 

Overcoming Social Gathering Challenges to Advance Healthy Living during a Pandemic:

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/success-stories/overcoming-social-gathering-challenges-advance-healthy-living-during-pandemic

SNAP-Ed in Nevada Helps Medical and Dental Offices Teach About Sugary Drinks:

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/success-stories/snap-ed-nevada-helps-medical-and-dental-offices-teach-about-sugary-drinks

Grocery Stores Receive Healthy Drink Recipes:

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/success-stories/grocery-stores-receive-healthy-drink-recipes

Ready Set Swim!

https://snaped.fns.usda.gov/success-stories/ready-set-swim

 

 

Website: The Rethink Your Drink website (https://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cpns/Pages/RethinkYourDrink.aspx) includes background information about the program and links to resources, the Rethink Your Drink curriculum, and training materials.

Contact Person(s):

Nutrition and Physical Activity Branch

California Department of Public Health

(916) 449-5400

npab@cdph.ca.gov

 

*Updated as of September 1, 2023