My attention was drawn to a disturbing article on the ghanaweb dated Saturday Febuary 10th 2007. The title of the article is the subject of my email.

In the said article, Constantine Sunu, the Quality System manager of Coca Cola bottling company in Kumasi was urging Ghanaians on to consume coca cola to quench their thirst, because the sugar content he claimed is from the United states and is not in harmful quantities.

It might interest the populace to know that the United States government has waged an effective nutrition war on carbonated beverages in the public schools of America because of it's strong association with metabolic disorders, of which diabetes is one. As a result, soda machines have been banned from most public schools in the US. The American Academy of Pediatrics, Family Practice and the American Diabetes Association are all involved in the fight to curb the epidemic of diabetes mellitus especially in the youth in the United States.

Now this is a nation with one of the best healthcare systems in the world, with the latest healthcare and emergency delivery systems in the world, and they are empowering the American public with the TRUTH about the known facts of the adverse effects of carbonated drinks on the human metabolism.

How can Mr Sunu make such erronous statements in the 21st century, to a population that is poor and cannot afford basic preventative and curative healthcare, let alone deal with the multisystem end organ damage associated with diabetes mellitus?

How can he mislead a population whose government cannot or will not invest adequately in their health.

Mr Sunu's statement is lethal to say the least, because it is a delibrate attempt to deceive the consumer in order to increase the sale of his product.

Please tell the Ghanaian consumer of coca cola and other carbonated beverages the truth or access the web for current honest scientific data on health and nutrition related issues, from sites like the Centers for Disease Control, webmd and the National Institute of health.

I emplore Mr Sunu, to withdraw his article, apologise to the Ghanaian public and issue another article on this subject based on the scientific data available.

Finally, I'll like to attach a copy of a humurous but true comparison between water and coca cola.

LONG LIVE GHANA AND HER PEOPLE.

Dora Akuetteh-Saforo Oceanside, California

Water or Coke? . I could not believe this..... Very interesting

WATER

#1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (Likely applies to half the world population.)

#2. In 37% of Americans, the thirst mechanism is so weak that it is mistaken for hunger.

#3. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one's metabolism as 3%.

#4. One glass of water will shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters studied in a University of Washington study.

#5. Lack of water, the #1 trigger of daytime fatigue.

#6. Preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers.

#7. A mere 2% drop in body water can trigger fuzzy short-term memory, trouble with basic math, and difficulty focusing on the computer screen or on a ! printed page.

#8. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, plus it can slash the risk of breast cancer by 79%., and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer. Are you drinking the amount of water you should drink every day?

COKE

#1. In many states the highway patrol carries two gallons of Coke in the trunk to remove blood from the highway after a car accident.

#2. You can put a T-bone steak in a bowl of Coke and it will be gone in two days.

#3. To clean a toilet: Pour a can of Coca-Cola into the toilet bowl and let the "real thing" sit for one hour, then flush clean. The citric acid in Coke removes stains from vitreous china.

#4. To remove rust spots from chrome car bumpers: Rub the bumper with a rumpled-up piece of Reynolds Wrap aluminum foil dipped in Coca-Cola.

#5. To clean corrosion from car battery terminals: Pour a can of Coca-Cola over the terminals to bubble away the corrosion.

#6. To loosen a rusted bolt: Apply a cloth soaked in Coca-Cola to the rusted bolt for several minutes.

#7. To bake a moist ham: Empty a can of Coca-Cola into the baking pan, wrap the ham in aluminum foil, and bake. Thirty minutes before ham is finished, remove the foil, allowing the drippings to mix with the Coke for a sumptuous brown gravy.

#8... To remove grease from clothes: Empty a can of Coke into the load of greasy clothes, add detergent, and run through a regular cycle. The Coca-Cola will help loosen grease stains. It will also clean road haze from your windshield.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION:

#1. the active ingredient in Coke is phosphoric acid. It will dissolve a nail in about four days. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase of osteoporosis.

#2. To carry Coca-Cola syrup! (the concentrate) the commercial trucks must use a hazardous Material place cards reserved for highly corrosive materials.

#3. The distributors of Coke have been using it to clean engines of the trucks for about 20 years!

Now the question is, would you like a glass of water?

or Coke?