As of Jan. 1, Indiana has officially drawn a line in the sand: Under the new "Smart SNAP" rules, recipients can no longer use benefits to buy soda or candy, a common-sense shift that returns the program to its roots.
The original intent of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program was never to fund a lifetime of junk food. It was designed as a temporary "supplement" to help families put real food on the table during hard times. Somewhere along the way, that mission got lost, as it often does with government programs. Today, the numbers are staggering: More than 42 million Americans are on SNAP. That's roughly one in eight people. In Indiana alone, approximately 610,000 Hoosiers rely on these benefits.
Beyond the health implications, SNAP has been plagued by abuse. It's an open secret that some recipients sell their benefits for 50 cents on the dollar to raise quick cash for non-food items. By restricting purchases to actual sustenance, Indiana is making it harder to treat a vital safety net like a slush fund. At least it's a start.
If you want junk food, buy it with your own paycheck. Taxpayers shouldn't be forced to subsidize a diet that leads to chronic illness, only to pay again for the resulting health care costs.
Let's hear from you. Do you like these new rules for SNAP?
I'm Bill Lamb, and that's my Point of View.
