Hawaii to Bar SNAP Soda Purchases in April 2027 at 500-Plus Retailers

3 articles · Updated · KITV Honolulu · Jun 18

Next April, Hawaii will stop SNAP recipients from using EBT cards to buy sugar-sweetened sodas, after pushing the rollout back from August for more retailer and community outreach.
The restriction comes under a federal healthy food choice pilot that has approved 23 states, and Hawaii says it targets drinks tied to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Scott Morishige, the state's SNAP administrator, said Hawaii is limiting the ban to carbonated sodas with sugar; diet drinks are excluded.
More than 500 Hawaii retailers that accept SNAP must adjust, with some store workers expecting slower sales and stock changes because many customers use EBT and some regularly buy sugary drinks.
Retailers also flagged implementation questions, including how sugar content will be judged as stores shift toward sugar-free and lower-sugar beverages.