Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram   

Soft drink sales hit a low, says study

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Aug. 20. The consumption of cola drinks in the city has come down drastically following news reports about the allegation that these contain high amounts of pesticide residues, a survey conducted by the students of Press Club's Institute of Journalism, has found.

Traders who spoke to the students said that the sale of soft drinks had come down to just one-tenth of the previous sales. Of the 125 persons who took part in the survey, about 80 per cent said that they had stopped consuming carbonated soft drinks on the basis of media reports. The survey also found that there were indeed a few who were not aware of the current controversy over the quality of soft drinks.

The participants in the survey were unanimous in their opinion that it was the responsibility of the Government to make it clear to the public whether carbonated soft drinks were safe for consumption. Many felt that the decision of political parties to confine the ban on cola drinks to the premises of Parliament and Assembly, were proof of their double standards.

Johny, a juice shop owner at Thampanoor told the students, ``If carbonated soft drinks are injurious to health, they should be banned. Right now confusion reigns.''

About eight per cent of those who took part in the survey were still consuming carbonated soft drinks. ``Are soft drinks any more dangerous than the vegetables here which also have high pesticide contamination,'' asked Krishnakumar, a serial actor.

The survey also found that 12 per cent of the participants have never been cola consumers. The survey also quoted the General Manager, Sales, of Coca Cola, Ashok George, as saying that the current controversy was part of a conspiracy to malign the company.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• Shaji for professional film awards jury
• Coca-Cola unit: Govt. to wait for Central lab reports
• One held for carrying excess foreign currency
• Private bus stir from Aug. 27
• Row over Gandhi Park takes violent turn
• EEC market at Anayara to begin operations soon
• Soft drink sales hit a low, says study
• UDF meet to discuss fee structure
• CM to look into complaint against Minister

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu