BANGOR (AP) – The Bangor pediatric dentist and public health advocate who spearheaded a successful campaign to ban smoking in vehicles when children are present now wants to prohibit the use of food stamps to buy soda.

Jonathan Shenkin, president-elect of the Maine Dental Association, is leading the push. Shenkin said soda contributes to tooth decay and obesity.

“People have the choice of buying soda with their own money, but taxpayer dollars should only be used to buy nutritional foods,” Shenkin told the Bangor Daily News. His proposal also includes diet soda, which is acidic and low in nutritional value.

Shenkin, who treats many low-income youngsters in his dental practice, said it’s not uncommon for him to see children as young as 3 or 4 who need to have all their baby teeth extracted due to advanced decay.

“It is absolutely the worst-case scenario of oral health,” he said, noting that many of the children expose their teeth to a steady bath of sugar and acid by consuming several cans of soda a day.

Shenkin’s efforts come a month after the American Dental Association endorsed a resolution in support of a ban on the use of food stamps to buy soda and other sugary drinks.

Critics of the proposal include an advocate for low-income Mainers and the beverage industry.

Chris Hastedt, policy director for Maine Equal Justice Partners, said it’s a myth that the poor buy more soda and junk food than the general populations. She said low-income families should not be singled out for their consumption of soda.

“Poor kids are already so disadvantaged,” she said, “and now we’re going to tell them they can’t serve soda at a party?”

Newell Augur, director of the Maine Beverage Association, suggested that the timing of the proposal may be linked to this month’s voter repeal of a state tax on beverages to fund Maine’s state-sponsored Dirigo Health program.

“It seems more like payback for the referendum than sound public policy,” he said.

Under current rules, food stamps cannot be used for cleaning supplies, paper products, alcohol or tobacco, but allow the purchase of virtually any foods. As of March, nearly 178,000 Maine households participated in the food stamp program.