Starting February 15, Idahoans using SNAP benefits will no longer be able to purchase candy and soda with their food assistance cards, following a statewide ban signed into law by Governor Brad Little last year. But the new rules are creating confusion among shoppers who are struggling to understand which items will be restricted.

“It’s gonna be a mess,” said Amanda Chester, a former SNAP recipient.

The restrictions aren’t as straightforward as they might seem. While gummy bears will be denied at checkout, Kit Kat bars will still be approved for purchase with SNAP benefits.

“Like we don’t even know what’s gonna get denied and what’s not once we go to the store,” Chester said.

WATCH: A Guide to identifying SNAP-eligible items

What you can still buy under Idaho’s new SNAP candy, soda ban

The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare has created candy and soda guidance sheets to help shoppers navigate the new rules, which reveal that not all candy is treated equally under the law.

A Kit Kat bar, which contains sugar and comes in bar form, remains SNAP-eligible because it contains flour. Gummy bears, however, contain sugar and come in small pieces but have no flour and require no refrigeration, making them ineligible for SNAP benefits.

RELATED | Idaho Health & Welfare clarifies eligible SNAP purchases after junk food ban

The drink restrictions also have nuances. Bottled Gatorade no longer qualifies for SNAP benefits, but the powdered version does.

“There are ways to go around it. You can make your own candy, your own cupcakes, you can do all of that on your own. It’s just very time consuming,” said Emina Sadiki, a SNAP recipient.

Sadiki said she understands the push for healthier choices but doesn’t understand why small indulgences for her children are now completely restricted.

Her 12-year-old son has expressed frustration with the limitations. “He says, ‘that just sucks. I can’t wait to get a job that way we don’t need food stamps anymore.’ He’s 12 years old. He shouldn’t be thinking about that,” Sadiki said.

The Department of Health and Welfare said the definitions for candy come directly from the state legislature, House Bill 109.

Idaho grocery stores are already posting signs about the new restrictions.

When a SNAP card is used for a restricted item, the purchase will be denied, but customers can still pay with cash, debit, or credit cards.

Some families worry the restrictions will create chaos at checkout lines.

“I can’t imagine how bad it’s gonna be and how people are gonna be so confused and so unsure,” Chester said. “I feel bad for the people that work at the grocery stores, like it’s gonna be a mess.”

NAMPA, Idaho — A former Nampa middle school teacher and current Las Vegas math teacher has been apprehended for allegedly sending explicit texts to a 13-year-old, according to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD).

On Feb. 3, detectives with the LVMPD’s Sexual Assault Detail arrested 48-year-old Brian Conway on the charge of use/permit minor less than 14 to produce porn, luring a child with a computer for sexual acts, and possession of visual porn of a person under the age of 16.

Brian Conway was formerly a teacher at South Middle School in the Nampa School District. The Nampa School District confirmed that Conway no longer works for Nampa Schools after he “voluntarily separated from employment with the district last school year for reasons unrelated to the allegations currently reported.”

Detectives say there could be additional victims due to Conway’s close ties with youth.

Idaho News 6 has obtained the arrest report for Conway, which provides details about his relationship with the 13-year-old student.

That report indicates the father of the 13-year-old student reached out to LVMPD after discovering “sexually explicit” text messages on his daughter’s phone involving Conway. The report claims Conway used Instagram, Signal, and text messages to communicate with the teen.

The father said his wife noticed the daughter texting late into the evening, which prompted her to search the daughter’s phone and subsequently find the explicit conversations with Conway.

When confronted about the relationship, the daughter admitted that the relationship with the middle school teacher evolved over the course of multiple months, the arrest report claims.

The father says he believed Conway was offering his daughter tutoring since she was sometimes staying after school.

Detectives later located Conway at his apartment and, through a search warrant, searched his digital devices, clothing, and photographs. During the search, officers seized two iPhones and three laptops.

When asked about his relationship with the daughter, police say Conway requested an attorney.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of Brian Conway, please contact the LVMPD Sexual Assault Detail at 702-828-3421.

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