SOUND OFF: Should Sugary Drinks Be Banned?
New York City recently passed a ban on soda and sugary drinks over 16 ounces. Where do you stand on soda size?
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The New York City Board of Health made it official this month: No large sodas..
The unanimous decision extends to sodas larger than 16 ounces from fast-food restaurants, movie theaters and street vendors. It is the first of its kind in the nation and does not cover convenience stores or supermarkets. It will go into effect in March 2013.
"This is the single biggest step any city, I think, has ever taken to curb obesity," New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg told the New York Times following the vote. "It’s certainly not the last step that lots of cities are going to take, and we believe that it will help save lives."
The decision has been applauded by some including Celebrity Chef Jamie Oliver who said that over half of the adults in New York are obese or overweight.
There has been opposition to the decision in polls of residents and by private interest groups. Some of those groups have said they will fight the decision.
The ruling could spark similar moves in other communities across the country.
Patch wants to know: Do you agree with the soda ban in the interest of public health or do you want your super soda? Sound off in the comments.
Tom Gilroy
6:34 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Just who are these self appointed soda and sugar police? How about personal responsibility and parental guidance? We don't need any more nannies to transform behavior, these are the same folks who are pro choice, but not pro super size soda. Get a life!
Bruce
7:51 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
I think it's ridiculous too, but I can also understand why this misguided policy is becoming more popular. Personal responsibility is becoming scarce these days, and people are getting frustrated and tired of paying the price (in healthcare costs) of other people's unhealthy lifestyles. But taking away personal freedoms is not the answer.
Anna Bucciarelli
6:38 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Kind of ridiculous ...
Iron Mike
7:09 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
Are we living as Free Citizens in the Land of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Sam Adams; - or are we being permitted to live as serfs and subjects in the Land of Lenin and Stalin?
WHERE in our Constitution does it give government the duty to regulate our food and drink?
Where did these self-appointed food police go to school? WHO taught them History and Civics? WHO put these ideas in their heads?
What's the NEXT step in their plan? Will they be installing monitoring cameras over our kitchen counters and dinner tables? Will they insist on taxing us to pay for the cameras, and for inspecting our trash?
Aron Levy
3:15 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012
It's not in the Constitution. It was the Food and Drug Act of 1906 that brought about the Food and Drug Agency.
But then again, you probably consider Ted Roosevelt a dirty Communist too, for siding with labor against the mine bosses.
lucy
7:54 am on Monday, September 24, 2012
No ban! It's called freedom. Educate people about their health and their eating habits. Parents should be doing this now - and set an example!
Vivian Merrill
1:00 pm on Tuesday, September 25, 2012
They tried that, nobody listened. Many parents try to feed their kids right, but there are many more that do not. When you're on the run, it's more convenient to grab a package of chips and eat it while driving your car than it is to grab a salad, which is not easy to eat while driving.
It could be said obesity is more prevalent in cities than in suburban places. While at the Lawrence football game last Friday, I noticed a lot of the Lawrence kids were a lot bigger than the Chelmsford kids. When I watched the Lawrence team run back out on the field after half-time, I noticed most of these kids were big because they were fat, not because they were muscular.
That being said, putting a size limit on soda will not stop anyone from buying two of them. It'll just make it less economical for the consumer.