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Ohio Department of Job and Family Services Director Matt Damschroder announced last week that the agency is delaying implementation of a ban that limits the purchase of certain sugary drinks with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in Ohio.
The ban, originally slated to begin Oct. 1, is being put on hold at the request of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Administration.
Earlier this year, FNA approved a waiver allowing Ohio to restrict the use of SNAP benefits to purchase certain beverages. Such beverages include fountain drinks and carbonated sugary beverages. Specifically, the waiver restricts the use of SNAP benefits for purchasing beverages that list sugar, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, or similar caloric sweeteners as the primary ingredient -- or as the second ingredient if the first is carbonated water.
The FNA recently requested Ohio to delay implementation so that FNA can issue a notice in the Federal Register and assess public comments prior to project implementation. In response, Ohio will pause the start of the sugary beverage ban until it receives further guidance. ODJFS will communicate the delay to SNAP recipients and retailers and will provide both with details of the implementation once those are known.
The proposal was based on recommendations from a workgroup convened by Gov. Mike DeWine in June 2025. Over three months, the group evaluated a wide range of data and expert input, including the impact of nutrition on children's health, the history and purpose of SNAP, retail logistics and implementation feasibility.
The workgroup noted that many health experts agree these drinks are widely recognized as having little to no nutritional value and are linked to chronic health conditions such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. The group recommended a clear and simple definition of restricted beverages to support ease of implementation for retailers and to ensure that SNAP recipients can easily understand what is and isn't eligible for purchase.