I used to like fruit-salad sweets, blackjacks, flying saucers, red liquorice shoestrings and moon dust, that stuff that crackled in your mouth. I bought them on the way home, though! We had a canteen system at secondary school, which meant we could choose. I had beans on toast every day because I wanted to keep my money for other things, which was a bit naughty, though beans on toast is actually quite healthy. I think children at primary school have far too much choice. Given a healthy and a junk-food choice, they will pick junk. At my secondary school, vegetables are available but pupils simply don't choose them. I think it's good for schools to make a stand.

Chris Leeks
Parent, Bristol

We didn't have a tuck shop in secondary school, but they would sell sugared buns from one of the music rooms at break. There were about 500 boys in the school and only about 150 buns on sale, so you had to fight to get one. I don't remember buying many sweets, but a bottle of Tizer was a high point at junior school and you'd share it with your friends. Decimalisation hit children hard. A shilling would buy 12 lollies at 1d each, but 5p, the equivalent, would only buy 10 lollies. I would definitely support a junk-food ban in schools: anything high fat or high salt. For every child who's naturally a sensible eater, you've probably got nine who will benefit from the new policy.

Scott Collen
Aged 16, from Kent

I usually just have a banana at break. I think I've been influenced by what I've read about good nutrition, though I still want snacks that are easy. If I'm a bit more peckish I might go to the canteen for a chocolate bar or a doughnut. My school took away all the Coke machines about a year ago and replaced them with water bottles. For the first few days it was anarchy, everyone needing caffeine and getting upset, then you saw everybody walking around with water bottles and there were no more problems. I think it will be the same with the junk-food ban, people will get used to it. You will never stop people eating chocolate at school, but if they want it, they can bring it with them; there's no point in the school encouraging them.