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California lawmakers on Thursday advanced the last major surviving bill in a package aimed at reducing consumption of sodas, approving a measure that would require health warning labels on sugary drinks.
The measure by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) received a bare majority of votes even though some Democrats withheld votes while others in the majority party joined Republicans in opposition.
The latest action follows this year’s shelving of measures that would have put a tax on soda and banned “Big Gulp”-style sodas in an effort to address health risks including obesity and diabetes that are posed by sugary drinks.
“They represent the single leading source of increased bad calories that are being promoted in our communities and pushed on communities of color,” Monning said during the floor debate, citing a “national epidemic” of diabetes.
The label on container would say: “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) may contribute to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and tooth decay.”
[...] The American Beverage Assn. opposed the bill with a strong push by lobbyists and while making major political contributions to state lawmakers.
The industry argued that the bill and its health impact claims went too far.
“There are already more effective ways to help people manage their overall sugar consumption rather than through mandatory and misleading messages,” said Steven Maviglio, a spokesman for the American Beverage Assn.
[...] Legislators are also still considering a bill that would bar the soda industry from offering subsidies including discount coupons that encourage soda consumption.
(Score: 2) by sshelton76 on Wednesday May 29 2019, @08:52PM (1 child)
Can't buy beer, wine or spirits with it either. Seems it would be trivial to just add soda to that list. But the thing is, for some of these kids that sugary soda might be the only calories they get that day. Not every family on foodstamps is like this, but growing up I knew kids who's parents would trade the bulk of their family's foodstamps for alcohol, drugs, tobacco what have you. Soda pop might be the only thing the parent would bother to buy that month, and so if the parents were too high to head to the foodbank, the kids might only have soda for calories that day.
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday May 29 2019, @10:55PM
I preferred getting commodities back when I was a wee little kid and we were poor as dirt. The big blocks of cheese they gave out were my favorite cheese right up until last year when I discovered bacon horseradish cheddar.
My rights don't end where your fear begins.