Flicker photo by SeveStJude

For those of you who love your soda, whether it be Pepsi or Coke, you might be interested in the story bubbling out of New York City.  Recently Mayor Michael Bloomberg (yes, the same Bloomberg in Bloomberg Law) proposed a ban on the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces.  The ban would be enforced at city restaurants, delis, movie theaters, and street cars.  (source:  CNN Blog)

Why is this significant?  New York City is already a town where most eating establishments charge for a refill.  Throw on top of that a limit on the size of a soda that can be sold, and soda lovers are in for a rude awakening.  If passed, consumers can forget about that large mega gulp while watching the newest summer thriller or a super-sized cola with your burger and fries. (source:  CNN Blog)

The purpose behind the ban is to combat obesity, which Bloomberg believes has become a nationwide problem.  This is not the first time Bloomberg has caused an uproar regarding his food and health policies.  Bloomberg has a history of health proposals that have stirred a little controversy, such as (source: CNN Blog):

• Exclusion of soda, sports drinks, and other sugary drinks from food stamp eligibility
• Ban outdoor smoking in parks, beaches, marinas, boardwalks, and pedestrian plazas
• Limits on alcohol advertising near schools
• “Salads in Schools” initiative, which provides low-height salad bars to elementary schools
• Calorie information displayed at chain restaurants on menus and menu boards
• Cuts to the amount of salt in packaged and restaurant food by 25% over 5 years
• Ban on trans fat in cooking oils within the city’s 24,000 food establishments

Before you get too rash and decide to take New York City off of your travel list, you should know that the ban would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy based drinks, or alcoholic beverages.  Furthermore, the ban will not extend to sugary beverages sold in grocery or convenience stores.  Therefore, you can still get your fix, just not at places where you would be consuming food and drink.  (source:  New York Times article)