CHARLESTON, W.VA. — Retailers in West Virginia must prepare to block all soda purchases made with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits beginning Jan. 1, the state Department of Human Services announced.

The restriction is mandated by the recent approval of the SNAP Healthy Choices Waiver Demonstration Project, which allows the state to prohibit SNAP recipients from purchasing soda for a two-year period to evaluate its impact on low-income families' nutrition and health.

The ban applies to the entire West Virginia SNAP population and impacts all SNAP retailers across the state.

The term “soda pop or soda” is defined as any regular soda, diet soda, or zero-calorie soda. This includes beverages with added caffeine or other ingredients but excludes carbonated water with

See Full Page