New York City Ban on Sodas
New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg has been talking about banning sodas and sugary drinks for a while now. It’s no secret that he’s a health nut who’s constantly trying to force better nutrition down the throats of New Yorkers, but most people wouldn’t have thought he was capable of creating a ban on sodas. However, last week the ban was approved that now prohibits restaurants, vendors, movie theaters and similar establishments from selling large sugary drinks.
It’s important to note that New York City’s recent ban doesn’t prevent all types of sodas from being sold, but rather those larger than 16 ounce, which is where most of the problem lies. You see, a typical 32-ounce cup of soda contains 128 grams of sugar and over 500 calories! For individuals on an average 2,000 calorie-diet, that’s 25% of your caloric intake from a simple drink.
Of course you can still purchase sodas and sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces from grocery stores and food and beverage retailers. The ban doesn’t prohibit the same of them here, but it rather stops convenience stores, gas stations and restaurants from selling them. So, if you’re in the mood for a huge sugary drink in New York City, be on the lookout for one of their many grocery stores packing down the streets.
As stated above, this isn’t the first time New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg has taken it upon himself to try and force better health upon the citizens of the big apple. Nearly a decade ago, he banned smoking in restaurants and bars, which led as an example to other cities across the country. Today, hundreds of cities have followed in the footsteps of New York City by banning smoking in restaurant establishments.
Another initiative that Bloomberg recently tried to enact on New York City citizens was banning formula; therefore, forcing mothers to breast-feed their newborns instead. As you can expect, this caused quite an uproar not only in New York City, but throughout the country as well. Although an official ban on formula never occurred, several hospitals agreed to stop handing out formula to new mothers to encourage breast-feeding instead.
It’s unclear whether or not Mayor Bloomberg’s ban on large sodas will remain in action. Legal experts claim there are several constitutional flaws in his latest ban, which could mean the reversal by a higher court. In any case, we’ll have to keep our eyes and ears peeled to see what New York City does and how it will affect the rest of the country.