Bloomberg to Ban Large Sodas in New York City
Mayor Bloomberg is proposing a sweeping ban on all sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces sold in restaurants, movie theaters, food carts and ballpark concession stands, NBC 4 New York has confirmed.
The citywide rule, if passed, would outlaw any sweetened drink larger than 16 ounces. It could take effect as soon as next March.
The New York Times first reported the effort late Wednesday. In an interview with the Times, Bloomberg said “obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health officials are wringing their hands saying, ‘Oh, this is terrible.’”
“New York City is not about wringing your hands; it’s about doing something,” he added. “I think that’s what the public wants the mayor to do.”
More than half of New York City adults are overweight or obese, according to the Health Department.
In a statement Wednesday night, the New York City Beverage Association said the city was wrongly targeting soft drinks as a driver of obesity rates and it was “time for serious health professionals to move on and seek solutions that are going to actually curb obesity.”
Drinks that would not be included in the ban include diet sodas and any beverages with fewer than 25 calories per 8-ounce serving, like zero-calorie Vitamin Waters and unsweetened iced teas, along with fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes and alcoholic beverages.
Also, the ban would not extend to beverages sold in grocery stores, convenience stores, vending machines or newsstands that serve only small amounts of fresh food items.
The rule does not limit establishments from offering free refills or stop one person from buying more than one sugary drink in a smaller size.
Bloomberg’s proposal is likely to be passed by the Board of Health, whose members are all appointed by him.
It is set to be submitted to the board on June 12, and will then undergo a three-month comment period before the board votes. Restaurants and establishments would then get six months from that time before any violations would be issued. The proposal envisions a $200 fine for violations.
The city says no other authorization beyond the Board of Health is required; its calorie-posting rule and letter grade requirements for restaurants were established through the same process.
It’s not the first time the mayor has tried to limit consumption of sugary drinks by city residents: in 2010, he proposed that food stamps be prevented from being used for sugary drinks. He said at the time it would have done “more to protect people from the crippling effects of preventable illnesses like diabetes and obesity than anything being proposed anywhere else in this country.”
His request was denied by the federal government.
Bloomberg is a bored soul
The man has nothing to do with his life. What’s next, Mike? How about taking care of your crumbling city…
about time
About time, enough with all the garbage
hopefully he will force the stores not to sell nosh and to close down the stores that only sell fat foods
this is so dumb
so people will just buy 2 of the smaller ones if they want. This will not combat obesity. Force restaurants to make smaller portions like in europe.
dori
someone told me that there is a suger free drink, its a soda without chemicals and no suger i think its called zevia and its for sure kosher. i can see it being useful that less chemically and sugary drinks are limited.
DeClasse- Intellectual
And, now we have another example of big brother interfering into our lives. I do not understand why they do not ban diet soft drink, etc, at the same time, the chemical addive to make it taste sweet is far worse on the body then sugar. Sweeten everything with Steva–a kosher non chemical natural plant derivitive that has no calories and non of the side effects of artifical sweetners. More reserach is needed into preventative medicine to address this problem, but with proposed health care ratioing under Obama care, that might go out the window.
why not?
seriously theres no reason not to ban it.
no one is going to miss out on anything
Milhouse
Um, Bloomberg isn’t banning anything; he’s *proposing* that the Board of Health impose this ban. Either they will act on his proposal or they won’t.
yitzchok c in Jerusalem
What a commie (expletive) I don’t need some politician telling me what I can and cannot drink. That’s not government’s job.
can i smack him now?
what a moron. who does he think he is. I understand there is an obesity problem but these people will just go and buy a second one. he is so ego maniacal who wants to control everything. I cant wait till he gets out of office.
pathetic
He has nothing better to do with his time and power???
wow ok so let me get this
we are worried about large soda cans when there are SO MANY OTHER ISSUES WITH THIS PLACE..oy vey is all i got to say.
Milhouse
#5 (DeClasse):
“the chemical addive to make it taste sweet is far worse on the body then sugar”
Who told you such nonsense?
“Steva–a kosher non chemical natural plant derivitive”
Non-chemical?! Do you mean that it’s pure vacuum?! If it has substance then it’s made of chemicals, like anything else. And there’s no reason in the world to suppose that the chemicals found in plants are better than the ones found in rocks.
“that has no calories and non of the side effects of artifical sweetners.”
Again, who told you such nonsense? What side effects do you imagine other sweeteners have, and why would stevia not have similar or worse ones?
CH
I think this is amazing thing to help obesity. soda is bad.
stop obesity?????
Umm………
okay this makes no sense! 1st of all this would sooner stop diabetes than obesity! can we use our brains pls?????
DeClasse- Intellectual
Milhouse: you do not know what you are writing about. Splenda with a couple of changes in molacues becomes petroleum–it might elimnate the need for a car.
I am in the food business and as a Masgiach I can tell you that half the stuff they use as preservatives and other chemical bonds–you would not feed to your pet microtius,
Steva is processed from tree leaves grown in China and elsewhere. It is either dried and ground into fine powder or is perculated in a mixture of glycrine, alchol and r/o water.and most of the liquid is removed during the processing. It is the closest thing to being all natural–only more natural is eating the leaf itself. It is sweeter then sugar and has no calories and it has no chemical after shook. Unless you are diabetic, many doctors states that you should advoid soda, but if you must take one that has sugar instead of such a lovely ingredent as aspertaine.
Hypocritical
Hey Mike! So if you’re so against junk food, why did you sign a proclamation honoring Doughnut Day today? Perhaps to pay homage to the NYPD?
Control Frieks.....
How about large Icecreams….will that be next…or a slice of pizza with tons of cheese and sauce…..How about tempura sushi..or a huge chocolate danish……There a so many things that ar loaded with calories…..What is he thinking. Fat people will eat what they want , and when they want….
to 17
control freaks!!!!!!
not frieks
Diabetic.
i dont drink soda, or sugary drinks…but this is definitely a violation of civil rights. total BS. if we want to be ADD/ADHD, and have diabetes…that is on us.