Which drinks would be included under Bloomberg’s proposed sugary beverage ban?
Soda and sugary beverages are the latest target of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is known for going on the offense against legal, but health-hazardous issues.
After successful campaigns against trans-fat and smoking, the mayor has set his sites on a bevvy of beverages that he blames for contributing to New York’s obesity rate. If Bloomberg gets his way, New Yorkers will no longer be able to purchase a select group of these “sugary drinks” in bottles or containers larger than 16 fluid ounces, according to the New York Times. The ban would affect what restaurants, bodegas, street carts and even movie theaters could sell.
Bloomberg’s announcement was foreshadowed by a series of ad campaigns launched by the city’s Department of Health over the past year, including one called “Pouring on the Pounds,” aimed at alerting New Yorkers to the consequences of consuming sweetened beverages.
On one poster, a route from Union Square to Brooklyn is highlighted on a map of the city, along with the message that you’d have to walk that far (3 miles) to burn the calories from one 20-ounce soda.
But not all soda and “sweet” drinks would fall under the ban. Here’s a list of drinks that would and would not be included in Bloomberg’s plan.
Drinks that fall under the proposed ban:
- Soft drinks with sugar, more than 16-ounces
- Bottled soda, more than 16-ounces
- Sweetened coffee or tea, more than 16-ounces
- Energy drinks, more than 16-ounces
- Fruit drinks with sugar, more than 16-ounces
Drinks that do not fall under the proposed ban:
- Diet soda
- Milkshakes, dairy-based drinks
- Alcoholic beverages
- Lattes
- Cappuccinos
- Fruit juice with at least 70 percent real juice
