Mayor Bloomberg's Soda Ban for New York

                                 Mayor Bloomberg's Soda Ban for New York

                                                

                                          http://www.newsday.com/opinion/walt-handelsman-1.812005/handelsman-cartoon-nyc-soda-ban-1.3753589

The consumption of soda is a controversial subject all over the world, but nowhere more than in the United States. On September 14, 2012 Mayor Bloomberg of New York City attempted to address the issue of adverse health outcomes due, in part, to the overconsumption of soda. Unfortunately, this ban backfired. It was approved by the Board of Health, but was invalidated by a Judge when taken all the way to the New York Supreme Court. Many see taking away their right to drink any amount of soda as a violation of their rights. While taking away soda altogether was not the answer, a new approach is desperately in need.

Soda and sugary drinks are among the leading causes of heart disease, diabetes, tooth decay and obesity in the United States.  In a research study funded by the NIH, it was shown that the sugary drinks that Americans know and love have 16 teaspoons of sugar in just a 20 oz. bottle. The average American drinks 45 gallons of sugary drinks every year. This massive amount of empty calories consumed does not replace the beneficial calories people eat, it just adds to them. On their website, The American Association of Public Health acknowledges that, “Decisive public health policy measures must be implemented to counteract the rising rates of sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among children and adults in the U.S."

Due to the detrimental outcomes of drinking soda you can see why Mayor Bloomberg  made limiting soda drinking a priority. The mayor seemed to have the best of intentions for this soda ban, but the question is, will a ban on the amount of soda a person can buy affect the health of N.Y for the better? “Yes,” says Dr. Lisa Young, author of The Portion Teller Plan says. She argues that, “portion sizes have increased considerably over the years and larger portions encourage us to consume more because we underestimate our intake.” This makes sense - does anyone really pay attention to the difference in volume between a large and a small soda? The prices are usually about the same, and often an extra-large soda is a better deal. HealthDay News agrees that the soda ban would work positively, stating that if the soda ban went nationwide it would “affect 7.5% of Americans (the proportion who regularly drink super-sized sodas which are being banned) each day and have the greatest impact on overweight people according to a new study.”

                                            http://www.davegranlund.com/cartoons/2012/06/01/nyc-and-giant-sodas/ 

However, not everyone agrees. We Americans live in a country that preaches the motto of freedom and self-choice on a daily basis. While many public health advocates and politicians press for limitations on sugary foods and drinks, the general public does not approve for a variety of reasons. One of the primary reasons, according to a poll by HealthDay News, is that "it should not be the role of the government to influence what we eat and drink." Another reason the public is not in favor is because they do not see how it could reduce obesity over time. There are other options that could be put into place to combat the rising rates of soda consumption. One possible policy-level intervention is imposing taxes on the soda to provoke customers to think twice before purchasing. A 2011 study estimated that a national penny-per-ounce tax would cut Americans' sugary drink intake by one-quarter. The Mexican Senate recently approved a soft-drink tax of 1 peso per liter and is expected to approve a 5% tax on high-calorie packaged foods such as potato chips, and sugary cereals. While companies are angered by this, another study published in Health Affairs states that experts estimated that a 15% cut in consuming sugared beverages among 25 to 64 year olds would prevent staggering numbers of deaths and serious illnesses, not to mention saving billions in medical costs.”

The controversy surrounding soda bans epitomizes the fundamental issue of public health – the tension between what is best for our communities as a whole and the rights of individuals to make their own choices about their health. While the health risks associated with overconsumption of soda are widely known, it is clear that an outright limitation is not the most effective way to curb consumption. A more nuanced approach that focuses on education, outreach, and pressure on the soft drink industry will go a long way toward changing our social norms about soda. Perhaps someday the Super Big Gulp will be a thing of the past.