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Would you like to see sugary drinks larger than 16 oz. banned in your city?
- Posted to Health and Wellness by Jessica Dahl
9,835 people voted
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced his plans for a far-reaching ban on plus-size sugary beverages sold to the public, a move that has sparked major controversy among citizens of the Big Apple and across the nation.
The proposal would ban all sugary drinks sold in containers larger than 16 ounces, a size smaller than a common soda bottle or a medium coffee. The ban would go into effect in places like delis, fast-food restaurants, movie theaters and sports arenas. It would exclude diet soda and dairy-based drinks.
Supporters cite the proposal as an effort to curb rising obesity rates in the city. Public health statistics currently show that 58% of NYC adults and nearly 40% of city public school students are obese or overweight. Furthermore, similar city-wide health ban on smoking in bars and restaurants in 2003 also created cries of protest, but has since become widely accepted and has even been adopted in other major cities.
However, opponents of the proposal say such bans raise super-sized questions about the government’s role in shaping and restricting individual choices. If the government is within its right to restrict behavior to protect health, what prevents it from restricting the sales of donuts or hamburgers or something more intrusive? Furthermore, if Bloomberg’s proposal is passed, there will still be plenty of ways to get one’s sugary fix, from free refills to sale specials for multiple sodas.
Where do you stand on this issue? If your city proposed the ban, would you support it? Take the poll and share your reasoning in the comments section below!
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Update #4
Posted by Jade Kachina (Campaign Leader) on Sep 13, 2012Big news from New York City today! The New York City Board of Health approved Mayor Bloomberg's ban on the sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks greater than 16 ounces at restaurants, street carts and movie theaters.
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The ban is the first restriction of its kind in this country and will have a huge effect on city health policies moving forward. Yet, many New Yorkers are unhappy and some other Americans are fearful that their cities may pass similar regulations. Public opinion on this... -
Update #3
Posted by Jade Kachina (Campaign Leader) on Aug 24, 2012Over 7,000 of you weighed in on the controversial sugary drink ban and most people feel that the government should not have the authority to limit our freedom of choice. A new poll conducted by the New York Times reveals a similar sentiment: 60% of New Yorkers think that Mayor Bloomberg's plan to prohibit sales of large sugary beverages in city restaurants, stadiums and movie theaters is a bad idea.
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Still, with rising obesity rates in this country, many supporters of the ban point to the... -
Update #2
Posted by Jade Kachina (Campaign Leader) on Jul 26, 2012Thanks for speaking up about where you fall on Mayor Bloomberg's proposed sugary drink ban! This week, New York City had a chance to weigh in on the controversial issue; politicians, soft-drink industry officials, public health experts, several union officials, and consumer advocates gathered for a hearing before the city's Board of Health on Tuesday. Similar to our poll results, the speakers were fairly evenly split on the new restriction. Members of the medical community supported the...
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Update #1
Posted by Jade Kachina (Campaign Leader) on Jun 14, 2012Thank you for sharing your opinion about New York's new sugary drink ban. Most of you feel that the measure restricts individual choices and do not support government attempts to legislate for healthier eating.
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Yet politicians aren't the only ones trying to take on the huge problem of childhood obesity. Last week the Walt Disney Company announced that in two years it will stop running advertisements for foods high in sugar, fats, sodium and calories on its TV channels and websites....
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Discuss the poll
No, I WOULD NOT like the Government to get ivolved. They have more important matters to deal with. Paying the teachers higher wages, and investing in our childrens education should be at the top the list! It's no wonder why obesity is increasing each year. Public schools, as well as private schools have minimal physical fitness insruction( P.E.), physical therapists , nutritionists, or sports medicine etc. When I was in school, P.E. was a requirement, not an elective. And it was on the...
…No, I WOULD NOT like the Government to get ivolved. They have more important matters to deal with. Paying the teachers higher wages, and investing in our childrens education should be at the top the list! It's no wonder why obesity is increasing each year. Public schools, as well as private schools have minimal physical fitness insruction( P.E.), physical therapists , nutritionists, or sports medicine etc. When I was in school, P.E. was a requirement, not an elective. And it was on the daily class schedule. Now a day's, it is only a one or two day per week class. There is more time involved in teaching the children how to play a particular sport, rather than focusing on DAILY exercise! In addition, if the schools had funding for Karate, Thai Kwan Doe, and self defense instruction, that would not only provide exercise, it would improve self-esteem. Which in the long-term would reduce Bullying issues in schools.
I agree with you.
The States are sure to follow suit. I think this is a great signal to a corrupt food industry that they better clean up their act. People DOn't understand that when they drink soda, they are drinking high fructose corn syrup, a neurotoxin in addition to sugar. And they drink it like water.
Is`nt this the United States of Amererica home of the brave and the free.People should make their own choices.
this is america let us choose what we eat or drink.
Everyone needs to STOP pointing the finger at retailers. People need to take control over there own habits. Everything in moderation is fine. It's Americans that seem to over indulge then blame everyone for them being overweight and unhealthy. TAKE RESPONSILIBITY!!!!! Stop putting hand to mouth-constantly!!!!
No I would not. I am a nurse and do realize that they are unhealthy, but I also feel we have freedoms that are being taken away in the guise of health. The bottom line is we arent going to live forever with or without these drinks..... Government needs to get out of our lives and freedoms!,,,,,
Amen. Linda! unbelievable!!
Re Update #4...why bother with a poll when these politicians are going to do what they want to do anyway! The whole thing is rediculous! Little by little our 'RIGHTS" are being taken away from us; if they get away with this......what will be next?
soda is not good for you but it is your right wheather you want to drink soda or not.
Bloomberg is a big a**hat! I have the right to drink myself to death with soda if I want! This is still America, RIGHT???????
I wish it was that easy, but it's not just the sugar carbonated drinks. Look at the the fast food restaurants and other food manufactures, who fill things with glucose and sodium, none of which are good for the human body. They finally want to worry about the extreme obesity crippling parts of this country, it's a crock of shit. They want to help make an impact and knock a dent in our obesity problem, make more options available, make them cheaper. Maybe if the healthier options are cheaper,...
…I wish it was that easy, but it's not just the sugar carbonated drinks. Look at the the fast food restaurants and other food manufactures, who fill things with glucose and sodium, none of which are good for the human body. They finally want to worry about the extreme obesity crippling parts of this country, it's a crock of shit. They want to help make an impact and knock a dent in our obesity problem, make more options available, make them cheaper. Maybe if the healthier options are cheaper, people would be more persuaded to go healthy. I dont drink sodas but you cant just take them away from people.
Actually, the government should just prohibit plastic containers....
And end big ag subsidies on corn and soy.
No I would not.