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Bloomberg to Outlaw Large Soft Drinks

  • Spence Cooper
  • June 1, 2012

New York’s food fascist Mayor is making the headlines once again. In 2010, Bloomberg demanded food manufacturers and restaurants cut salt in packaged and restaurant foods by 25 percent, then he prohibited trans fats in New York restaurant food.

Now Bloomberg has proposed an amendment to the city’s health code to prohibit large sugared drinks at delis, fast-food franchises, restaurants, movie theaters, mobile food carts, and even sports arenas. The ban would not apply to convenience stores, grocery stores or drug stores.

According to the New York Times, Bloomberg’s ridiculous dictatorial measure would prohibit the sale of any cup or bottle of sweetened drink larger than 16 ounces, which could take effect as soon as next March.

“Obesity is a nationwide problem, and all over the United States, public health officials are wringing their hands saying, Oh, this is terrible,'” Bloomberg said.

“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”

Bloomberg’s proposal still requires the approval of the Board of Health, but the members were all appointed by him, and the board’s chairman is the city’s health commissioner, who joined the mayor in supporting the measure.

Nothing prohibits the public from buying two 16 ounce sugary drinks simultaneously, and pouring them into a 32 ounce cup.

And at fast-food chains, even though restaurants would be required to hand out cup sizes of 16 ounces or less, customers can get free refills and/or buy additional drinks to their hearts’ content at self-serve fountains.

Bloomberg theorizes buying more than one 16-counce drink will be too inconvenient. “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,”Bloomberg said.

Calorie counts already appear on soda bottles and cans in New York and New York restaurants post the calorie content of their soft drinks.

The Times points out that 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.”

Bloomberg previously supported a state tax on sodas, but the measure died, and he tried to restrict the use of food stamps to buy sodas, but the idea was rejected by federal regulators.

Bloomberg to Outlaw Large Soft DrinksAccording to the Times, 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.

Bloomberg’s asinine, melodramatic notion of singling out sweetened drink amounts over 16-ounces to combat obesity is over simplistic hogwash.

Because the key contributors to obesity are fast-food in general, the overabundance of food, and the extra metabolic step that is missing in high-fructose corn syrup, added to virtually all processed food.

Even prohibiting all sweetened drinks of any size would fail to accomplish his goal. Outlawing alcohol didn’t work during Prohibition in the past, just like fascist attempts at restricting sweetened drinks won’t work to combat obesity today.

Per capita consumption of alcohol actually increased during Prohibition.

According to Reuters, the proposal will be submitted to the New York City Board of Health on June 12. The board will go through a three-month comment period and vote on the proposal.

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