A legislative plan to prohibit fizzy drinks in North Dakota's elementary and middle schools has become an effort to get rid of high-calorie soft drinks in all the state's public schools.

North Dakota's Senate voted 68-25 on Tuesday to require local school boards, once their present contracts with vending machine suppliers expire, to use guidelines set up by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and the nation's leading beverage makers in negotiating new agreements.

The Alliance is a partnership between the American Heart Association and a foundation run by former President Clinton.

Its guidelines for school drinks limit beverages in elementary and middle schools to water, low-fat milk and 100 percent fruit juice. High schools also are allowed low-calorie or calorie-free soft drinks, sports drinks and light juices.

The limits include "cafeteria sales, vending machine sales, and concession sales, except those occurring outside the regular school day," the bill says. The legislation now goes to the state Senate for additional work.

"They've taken steps toward not eliminating the beverages, but trying to put those in which are lower calorie, smaller quantities," said Rep. Gil Herbel, R-Grafton.

Rep. Lisa Wolf, D-Minot, who is a high school teacher, wondered if the initiative would be counterproductive.

"Educating them instead of forbidding it, to me, is a much better way to go," Wolf said. "Explain to them what the benefits and the disadvantages are of these things. Teaching high school kids, when you tell them, 'You can't have this,' that just makes them want to have it more."

When sales of carbonated beverages were banned at her school, a nearby convenience store began doing a lucrative business, she said.

"Our little snack area that we had is losing $500 a day in profit," she said. "That money used to be used to fund band trips, or to buy uniforms for sports or band. … That little convenience store, they love it. They think this is great."

Students "are still walking around with pop, they're still walking around with candy bars, because we are not educating them," Wolf said.

The bill is HB1451.