Just a few days ago, New York Supreme Court Judge Milton Tingling declared the ban on sugary drinks over 16 ounces invalid. Mayor Bloomberg was not very happy with his proposal shot down, but it seems like it is what is best for New Yorkers.
To say that sugary drinks are what cause obesity is a vast understatement. There are so many other factors that play into obesity that banning large sugary drinks is not worth it for the implications of this ban. At first it seemed silly to me, that ACLU and other rights groups were fighting this ban. They said that it would racially discriminate towards the merchants and bodega owners who sell these things. But it makes sense, when you think about it. There are so many other types of sugary drinks that this could ban but doesn't. It could ban sweet coffees- Starbucks especially! Additionally if Bloomberg wanted to cut obesity, he could have more heavily taxed the drinks he chose to ban, or chose to ban things that are less racially associated (although I think that sugary drinks are more classed racialized.)
It is an interesting issue, and one that I would not have thought of. At the same time though, I don't think that it would be bad, from a health point of view, to bad large sodas. There is a risk in every social change.
If you want to hear more about this issue, you can read Time Magazine's article about it here.
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