OMAHA, April 20, 2026 - The American Heart Association, which is committed to changing the future of health for everyone, everywhere, issued this statement in response to the Nebraska Department of Health Human Services' announcement that it intends to prohibit candy purchases in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): "The American Heart Association is committed to improving nutrition quality in SNAP. We have focused our efforts on sugary drinks, including full-calorie soda, sports drinks, lemonade, energy drinks, sweetened coffee and teas, and fruit drinks with added sugars, which are the number one source of added sugars in the U.S.
diet. "Removing sugary drinks from SNAP is an important first step.
Nebraska has led the nation on this issue , becoming the first state last year to receive approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to prohibit sugary drink purchases in SNAP.
The Heart Association supports more states following Nebraska's lead in pursuing state waivers on sugary drinks and evaluating their impact.
AHA News (American Heart Association) published a clinical update in Cardiology on 21 Apr 2026.
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