1. United States
2. N.J.
3. Letter

The movement to ban SNAP recipients from buying soda, candy and energy drinks with their benefits is growing. Four more states have been granted waivers from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services to restrict the purchases of sugary drinks and snacks with SNAP dollars. SNAP, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, helps low- and no-income Americans afford groceries by loading a debit card with a monthly benefit amount. There are already restrictions on what SNAP recipients can use their benefits for (no alcohol or tobacco, for example). Now, 22 states have additional restrictions in effect or in the works for grocery items deemed “non-nutritious,” like soda and candy. Kansas, Nevada, Ohio and Wyoming have all moved to add new restrictions in the past month. These are the best places to live in the US for 2026, study finds But those states’ new rules won’t go into effect for several months or even years. Four states are ready to start cracking down next month. New restrictions take effect in April in Colorado, Florida, Texas and West Virginia. Colorado and West Virginia’s new rules ban the purchase of soda or soft drinks with SNAP benefits. Florida goes further, also banning the purchase of energy drinks, candy and prepared desserts. Texas SNAP recipients will no longer be able to buy candy or any sweetened drinks that contain more than 5 grams of added sugar or any artificial sweeteners. Virginia was also originally slated to start enforcing new restrictions in April, but has pushed back its target implementation to October, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. West Virginia had also set an original target date of Jan. 1, 2026, for implementation but told retailers they have until April 1 to fully comply. “With these new waivers, we are empowering states to lead, protecting our children from the dangers of highly-processed foods, and moving one step closer to the President’s promise to Make America Healthy Again,” USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins said in a press release. Which cities are the most obese? New report has the answer But critics of the restrictions say it puts unnecessary restrictions on the poorest in America. “It’s an opportunity to say you’re doing something, while really just stigmatizing a single group of people for choices that everybody in America really makes,” Chris Bernard of Hunger Free Oklahoma told Nexstar’s KFOR. SNAP, formerly the Food Stamp Program, helps approximately 1 in 8 Americans afford groceries. There are other existing bans on how people can spend their benefits, regardless of where they live. Non-food items (such as soap or paper products), alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medications, and hot foods are already off-limits in every state.