Five municipalities test new health initiative: Water should be the easy choice

Three out of four children and young people in Denmark consume more sugary drinks than recommended. At the same time, many lack access to cold drinking water in their daily lives – at schools, in clubs, and in sports facilities. This can have a significant impact on the choices children and young people make throughout the day.

That is why the Centre for Childhood Health is now partnering with five municipalities in a new pilot project aimed at making water the easy and natural choice. A total of 37 water stations will be installed at schools, institutions, sports halls, and other places where children and young people spend time in the municipalities of Roskilde, Halsnæs, Brønderslev, Lemvig, and Herning.

The water stations are part of the Centre for Childhood Health’s Partnership for Water and are intended to ensure easy access to cold drinking water in everyday life.

“Far too many children and young people reach for a sugary drink to quench their thirst. With the water stations, we are making it easier to choose water in everyday life and supporting the development of healthy habits as the natural choice. It’s not just about installing water stations, but about helping to create a culture where cold drinking water is always the first choice for children and young people,” says Jonas Egebart, Chair of the Board of the Centre for Childhood Health.

Structural solutions make a difference

A high consumption of sugary drinks is associated with an increased risk of, among other things, overweight, poor well-being, and reduced concentration. Water has the opposite effect and supports health, well-being, and learning.

Yet in many places access is so limited that children either have to go without or go to the bathroom to get something to drink.

The initiative is based on knowledge that children’s and young people’s drinking habits are greatly influenced by the physical environments around them.

“To strengthen children’s and young people’s health and well-being, it is important to look at the environments we provide in everyday life. When water is easily accessible, it becomes a natural part of the day. The water stations are a simple but important measure that supports healthy habits and contributes to better well-being among children and young people,” says Annegrete Juul, Director of the Centre for Childhood Health.

Young people support the water stations

Danish School Students is part of the Partnership for Water and represents the children and young people the water stations are intended for. According to the organisation, healthy drinking habits are not about a lack of desire for water, but about access in everyday life.

“Soft drinks and sugary beverages take up a lot of space among young people – that’s no secret. It’s not because we don’t like water, quite the opposite, but because it’s often not easily accessible. Having water stations installed at schools is fantastic, so we can promote a healthy water culture instead of continuing to drink all those soft drinks and sugary beverages,” says Sara Bach Nielsen, Member of the National Board of Danish School Students.

Local experience – national knowledge

The five municipalities serve as pilot municipalities. The experiences gained will contribute knowledge about how a simple and scalable solution can be implemented more broadly, and what is required if more municipalities are to follow suit.

The initiative and the use of the 37 water stations will be continuously tested and evaluated, so that the experiences can be used by other municipalities. The water stations are also part of a larger programme that includes other measures, such as policy initiatives, local policies, education about tap water and sugary drinks, changes in norms, and more.