New York Plans to Ban Sale of Big Sizes of Sugary Drinks

[SilentBob]

New York City plans to enact a far-reaching ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in the most ambitious effort yet by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity.

The proposed ban would affect virtually the entire menu of popular sugary drinks found in delis, fast-food franchises and even sports arenas, from energy drinks to pre-sweetened iced teas. The sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 fluid ounces — about the size of a medium coffee, and smaller than a common soda bottle — would be prohibited under the first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March.

The measure would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes, or alcoholic beverages; it would not extend to beverages sold in grocery stores or convenience stores.

“Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health officials are wringing their hands saying, ‘Oh, this is terrible,’ ” Mr. Bloomberg said in an interview on Wednesday in City Hall’s sprawling Governor’s Room.

“New York City is not about wringing your hands; it’s about doing something,” he said. “I think that’s what the public wants the mayor to do.”

A spokesman for the New York City Beverage Association, an arm of the soda industry’s national trade group, criticized the city’s proposal on Wednesday. The industry has clashed repeatedly with the city’s health department, saying it has unfairly singled out soda; industry groups have bought subway advertisements promoting their cause.

“The New York City health department’s unhealthy obsession with attacking soft drinks is again pushing them over the top,” the industry spokesman, Stefan Friedman, said. “It’s time for serious health professionals to move on and seek solutions that are going to actually curb obesity. These zealous proposals just distract from the hard work that needs to be done on this front.”

Mr. Bloomberg’s proposal requires the approval of the Board of Health, a step that is considered likely because the members are all appointed by him, and the board’s chairman is the city’s health commissioner, who joined the mayor in supporting the measure on Wednesday.

Mr. Bloomberg has made public health one of the top priorities of his lengthy tenure, and has championed a series of aggressive regulations, including bans on smoking in restaurants and parks, a prohibition against artificial trans fat in restaurant food and a requirement for health inspection grades to be posted in restaurant windows.

The measures have led to occasional derision of the mayor as Nanny Bloomberg, by those who view the restrictions as infringements on personal freedom. But many of the measures adopted in New York have become models for other cities, including restrictions on smoking and trans fats, as well as the use of graphic advertising to combat smoking and soda consumption, and the demand that chain restaurants post calorie contents next to prices.

In recent years, soda has emerged as a battleground in efforts to counter obesity. Across the nation, some school districts have banned the sale of soda in schools, and some cities have banned the sale of soda in public buildings.

In New York City, where more than half of adults are obese or overweight, Dr. Thomas Farley, the health commissioner, blames sweetened drinks for up to half of the increase in city obesity rates over the last 30 years. About a third of New Yorkers drink one or more sugary drinks a day, according to the city. Dr. Farley said the city had seen higher obesity rates in neighborhoods where soda consumption was more common.

The ban would not apply to drinks with fewer than 25 calories per 8-ounce serving, like zero-calorie Vitamin Waters and unsweetened iced teas, as well as diet sodas.

Restaurants, delis, movie theater and ballpark concessions would be affected, because they are regulated by the health department. Carts on sidewalks and in Central Park would also be included, but not vending machines or newsstands that serve only a smattering of fresh food items.

At fast-food chains, where sodas are often dispersed at self-serve fountains, restaurants would be required to hand out cup sizes of 16 ounces or less, regardless of whether a customer opts for a diet drink. But free refills — and additional drink purchases — would be allowed.

Corner stores and bodegas would be affected if they are defined by the city as “food service establishments.” Those stores can most easily be identified by the health department letter grades they are required to display in their windows.

The mayor, who said he occasionally drank a diet soda “on a hot day,” contested the idea that the plan would limit consumers’ choices, saying the option to buy more soda would always be available.

“Your argument, I guess, could be that it’s a little less convenient to have to carry two 16-ounce drinks to your seat in the movie theater rather than one 32 ounce,” Mr. Bloomberg said in a sarcastic tone. “I don’t think you can make the case that we’re taking things away.”

He also said he foresaw no adverse effect on local businesses, and he suggested that restaurants could simply charge more for smaller drinks if their sales were to drop.

The Bloomberg administration had made previous, unsuccessful efforts to make soda consumption less appealing. The mayor supported a state tax on sodas, but the measure died in Albany, and he tried to restrict the use of food stamps to buy sodas, but the idea was rejected by federal regulators.

With the new proposal, City Hall is now trying to see how much it can accomplish without requiring outside approval. Mayoral aides say they are confident that they have the legal authority to restrict soda sales, based on the city’s jurisdiction over local eating establishments, the same oversight that allows for the health department’s letter-grade cleanliness rating system for restaurants.

In interviews at the AMC Loews Village, in the East Village in Manhattan, some filmgoers said restricting large soda sales made sense to them.

“I think it’s a good idea,” said Sara Gochenauer, 21, a personal assistant from the Upper West Side. Soda, she said, “rots your teeth.”

But others said consumers should be free to choose.

“If people want to drink 24 ounces, it’s their decision,” said Zara Atal, 20, a college student from the Upper East Side.

Lawrence Goins, 50, a postal worker who lives in Newark, took a more pragmatic approach.

“Some of those movies are three, three and a half hours long,” Mr. Goins said. “You got to quench your thirst.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/31/ny...sCvyUXtYEHo0mA


And the sheep will follow as they systematically strip them of their rights

[rwh1960huck]

(Mayor?) Bloomberg needs a citizens commission to monitor his every move 24/7/365 to make sure he isnt tempted to overindulge in any of the forbidden beverages.

and ALL the rest of us need to tell people to FUCK OFF the next time they assume some authority never previously given to them.

[infantrystud]

I'm actually surprised. I figured this kind of thing would come AFTER single payer nationalized health care. Because once they do that, the next logical step is to monitor what people eat and drink. If someone wants to be a fat fuck, they'll be a fat fuck. They'll just buy two sodas. This is nanny state gone crazy.

[lefty6t]

everyone will just go to Jeresy and get one anyway...
i can just see it now....Bloomberg with a sippycup standing in front of city hall

[rikki18]

Dumb and Dumber is a fine comedy movie

[SilentBob]

Originally Posted by rwh1960huck

(Mayor?) Bloomberg needs a citizens commission to monitor his every move 24/7/365 to make sure he isnt tempted to overindulge in any of the forbidden beverages.

and ALL the rest of us need to tell people to FUCK OFF the next time they assume some authority never previously given to them.

that i actually a very good idea

[afspoker]

I personally think this is a non issue. It is creating rules for the sake of creating rules. Yes I think his heart is in the right place on wanting to combat obesity. However, I don't think this will be very effective.

Places where most people get giant sodas are at movie theaters, gas stations and fast food joints. Since this bill does nothing about number of refills, then movie theaters and fast food joints aren't really bothered. Movie theaters will still charge super premiums for their drinks. And it will just cause couples to get two drinks now instead of sharing one large one.

[ShuGuy]

Originally Posted by lefty6t

everyone will just go to Jeresy and get one anyway...
i can just see it now....Bloomberg with a sippycup standing in front of city hall

That's a lie. New Yorkers never want to go to Jersey. Hell, most people never want to go to Jersey.

[lefty6t]

Originally Posted by ShuGuy

That's a lie. New Yorkers never want to go to Jersey. Hell, most people never want to go to Jersey.

they will to get that 44 0z.`r if shorty bans them from downtown

[fluffybunny]

Originally Posted by infantrystud

I'm actually surprised. I figured this kind of thing would come AFTER single payer nationalized health care. Because once they do that, the next logical step is to monitor what people eat and drink. If someone wants to be a fat fuck, they'll be a fat fuck. They'll just buy two sodas. This is nanny state gone crazy.

First thing I thought of too. Just order two or three drinks. Humans are idiots at times.

[sebrebc]

Attacking the rights of the individuals is not the proper way to get things done....it just pisses people off. If they want to fight obesity, they need to find other ways of doing it. Regulations on fast food and soda companies, how many calories and fat can be in products, tighter restrictions on preservatives, things of that nature. It's backdoor socialism, but at least it's better than front door, in your face socialism.

If people want to be fat, stupid, lazy, let them. This is, or was, a free country. I don't want to go out to dinner and see some 400lb walrus slobbering down a cheeseburger with crumbs down their mountainous gut either. But they are free to be fat if they want. I'm sure people think smoking is stupid, which it is....but I am free to smoke. So fuck off if you don't like it.

I would like to see the citizens take a stand and finally, in one voice, say "cut this shit out!". But it isn't happening, it won't happen, and quite frankly it can't happen.

[nat2928]

let's see, you give me a 16oz cup, that means i will have to have 4 refills.

[Captain_Fantasy]

All the misery and suffering in the world and this is what Americans get upset about?
Who gives a fuck?

First world problems. SMH.

[sleepneat]

NY beat SF to it

[SilentBob]

Originally Posted by Captain_Fantasy

All the misery and suffering in the world and this is what Americans get upset about?
Who gives a fuck?

First world problems. SMH.

because we have(had) this document called the constitution, but with this type of misguided power what is next

and what about his other policies like the fuck with illegal search and seizure displayed below

Stop-and-Frisk Campaign: About the Issue

The NYPD’s stop-and-frisk practices raise serious concerns over racial profiling, illegal stops and privacy rights. The Department’s own reports on its stop-and-frisk activity confirm what many people in communities of color across the city have long known: The police are stopping hundreds of thousands of law abiding New Yorkers every year, and the vast majority are black and Latino.

An analysis by the NYCLU revealed that more than 4 million innocent New Yorkers were subjected to police stops and street interrogations from 2004 through 2011, and that black and Latino communities continue to be the overwhelming target of these tactics. Nearly nine out of 10 stopped-and-frisked New Yorkers have been completely innocent, according to the NYPD’s own reports:

In 2002, 97,296 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
80,176 were totally innocent (82 percent).
In 2003, 160,851 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
140,442 were totally innocent (87 percent).
77,704 were black (54 percent).
44,581 were Latino (31 percent).
17,623 were white (12 percent).
83,499 were aged 14-24 (55 percent).
In 2004, 313,523 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
278,933 were totally innocent (89 percent).
155,033 were black (55 percent).
89,937 were Latino (32 percent).
28,913 were white (10 percent).
152,196 were aged 14-24 (52 percent).
In 2005, 398,191 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
352,348 were totally innocent (89 percent).
196,570 were black (54 percent).
115,088 were Latino (32 percent).
40,713 were white (11 percent).
189,854 were aged 14-24 (51 percent).
In 2006, 506,491 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
457,163 were totally innocent (90 percent).
267,468 were black (55 percent).
147,862 were Latino (31 percent).
53,500 were white (11 percent).
247,691 were aged 14-24 (50 percent).
In 2007, 472,096 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
410,936 were totally innocent (87 percent).
243,766 were black (54 percent).
141,868 were Latino (31 percent).
52,887 were white (12 percent).
223,783 were aged 14-24 (48 percent).
In 2008, 540,302 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
474,387 were totally innocent (88 percent).
275,588 were black (53 percent).
168,475 were Latino (32 percent).
57,650 were white (11 percent).
263,408 were aged 14-24 (49 percent).
In 2009, 581,168 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
510,742 were totally innocent (88 percent).
310,611 were black (55 percent).
180,055 were Latino (32 percent).
53,601 were white (10 percent).
289,602 were aged 14-24 (50 percent).
In 2010, 601,285 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
518,849 were totally innocent (86 percent).
315,083 were black (54 percent).
189,326 were Latino (33 percent).
54,810 were white (9 percent).
295,902 were aged 14-24 (49 percent).
In 2011, 685,724 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
605,328 were totally innocent (88 percent).
350,743 were black (53 percent).
223,740 were Latino (34 percent).
61,805 were white (9 percent).
341,581 were aged 14-24 (51 percent).
In the first three months of 2012, 203,500 New Yorkers were stopped by the police.
181,457 were totally innocent (89 percent).
108,097 were black (54 percent).
69,043 were Latino (33 percent).
18,387 were white (9 percent).

http://www.nyclu.org/issues/racial-j...risk-practices

[Captain_Fantasy]

Seriously, no one cares. Not even a little.

It is a quality unique to Americans to become absolutely incensed about not being able to cram enough crap in their gob at any given time.

An attack on constitutional freedoms? Please.
This doesn't even come close to approaching anything in the realm of importance.

If you don't like it, don't go to New York. Done deal.

Go talk to political dissidents living in China under perpetual house arrest if you want to hear about real injustice.
Not being able to drink enough soda is a non issue. For people that are that upset about it, all I can suggest is for them to reevaluate their priorities in life because this is a stupid issue.

[SilentBob]

Personally I would not be affected(I don't drink sugary soft drinks, and normally buy a small), but the fact is, that this is (supposed to be) a free country.

So i guess you aren't concerned in the fact that every time they strip you of rights we lose more of the freedom that was what this country was built on.


EDIT:
to address your edit, how can you possibly compare China's policies with the US

[Captain_Fantasy]

Your passive aggressive behavior is noted, but I have a more balanced sense of priorities in my life such that I don't find not being able to buy a double big gulp size of unhealthy crap to negatively impact my life.

If it bothers you that much, write your congressman, get an IV full of Dr. Pepper, and Occupy something.

Total non-issue.

If you want to talk about actual problems, this guy can fill you in.
http://forums.sexyandfunny.com/showthread.php?p=2616818

People are getting gunned down in the streets in Syria and Americans complain about soda?
That's a sad commentary right there.

[ruffrider]

I'd like to note that most laws that start in New York City often spread out to other cities and soon states
So yes a law making it illegal for someone to buy OR sell something such as pop because of its size is an over extension of government power (In the USA) and people should be angry about it.

[SilentBob]

Originally Posted by Captain_Fantasy

Your passive aggressive behavior is noted, but I have a more balanced sense of priorities in my life such that I don't find not being able to buy a double big gulp size of unhealthy crap to negatively impact my life.

If it bothers you that much, write your congressman, get an IV full of Dr. Pepper, and Occupy something.

Total non-issue.

If you want to talk about actual problems, this guy can fill you in.
http://forums.sexyandfunny.com/showthread.php?p=2616818

People are getting gunned down in the streets in Syria and Americans complain about soda?
That's a sad commentary right there.

Wow
There you go again this time comparing syria to the US.

I guess you are ready to live in a government controlled country like in china or syria