Block for Instructions Issue Facing a Local

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Issue facing a local community:

Limitations on soda consumption in New York City

One of the most divisive local issues in America does not pertain to gun control or education but revolves around that quintessentially all-American beverage -- the soft drink. New York City Mayor Bloomberg recently proposed limiting the sizes of "large sodas and other sugary drinks at restaurants, movie theaters and street carts, in the most ambitious effort by the Bloomberg administration to combat rising obesity" (Grynbaum 2012). While New York City's obesity rates are not as alarmingly high as elsewhere in the nation, they are still high enough to cause concern, specifically within demographics such as children, minorities, and the poor. Sodas have been the target of anti-obesity activists because of their minimal nutritional value and high caloric content. Under the proposal, sales of sweetened drinks larger than 16 fluid ounces would be prohibited within the city (Grynbaum 2012).

The bill immediately drew criticism from health-conscious activists on one side of the issue and soda manufacturers and owners of convenience stores on the other. The proposal, it should be noted, was fairly limited in its scope. "The measure would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks like milkshakes, or alcoholic beverages; it would not extend to beverages sold in grocery stores or convenience stores" (Grynbaum 2012). It also would not affect other sugary snack items commonly sold in public venues in large sizes. Supersized candy bars and popcorn would remain untouched. But diet sodas have also been implicated in weight gain in some studies and fruit drinks are still high in sugar. One study found that "there was a 41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can or bottle of diet soft drink a person consumes each day" (DeNoon 2005).

But while some activists believed that the proposal did not go far enough, an equal number also stated that it went too far and infringed upon their freedom of choice as consumers. On the airwaves, New Yorkers have been barraged by advertisements from New Yorkers for Beverage Choices, a lobbyist group "backed by a non-alcoholic beverage lobbying group called the American Beverage Association" which "has taken to the street with iPads to gather signatures" (Lang 2012). The group frames the issue as one of freedom of choice, arguing that consumers have the right to choose how much soda they wish to consume and where. Movie theaters are also fighting back because of the fact that they are likely to lose a great deal of revenue from one of their most profitable cash cows. Soda, particularly fountain soda from a mix, is extremely inexpensive to produce in mass quantities, and consumers are increasingly willing to spend money on larger and larger sizes. "The industry has clashed repeatedly with the city's health department, saying it has unfairly singled out soda" (Grynbaum 2012)

According to the data, "so far, the public seems to be on the side of Big Gulps, with 60% of New Yorkers as saying they're opposed to the new restrictions" (Lang 2012). The fact that the initiative is backed by the Bloomberg Administration may be one reason for its lack of popularity. Mayor Bloomberg has long been an advocate for laws to improve the public's health, including his call to ban transfats, ban smoking in public places, and to force chain restaurants to post calorie counts on their menus. Overall, these measures have been successful -- transfat consumption has declined. However, combined with his decision to seek an unprecedented third term, members of the public are growing increasingly discontented with what they see as Bloomberg's overreaching of his mayoral power.

The city has been supported by a number of powerful entities as well. "The city's planned crackdown on super-sized sugary drinks got prominent backing Tuesday from Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and other diet companies" (Weight loss groups back New York City's sugary-drinks plan, 2012, Associated Press). The tremendous expenditures upon treating obesity shouldered by the city, according to Bloomberg, also mean that drinking sugary beverages is not just an issue of personal choice with only personal consequences. Also, although opponents of the bill are characterizing it as an attack upon freedom, Bloomberg points out that no one is actually actively limiting the amount of soda every New Yorker can purchase. Someone can always buy two sodas, for example, or buy their soda from a grocery store and drink as much as they want. The measure is more in lines of the food-labeling laws, which use posted calorie counts to remind consumers of how much they are really eating.