After reading "Goodbye, Big Soda: New York Becomes First City to Ban Large-Sized Soft Drinks" on TIME's website, I can't help but feel a little angry.
The New York City Health Department officially banned the sale of sugared soft-drinks over 16 oz. This means that restaurants, mobile food carts, sports arenas and movie theaters will be fined $200 for selling said beverages after their grace period ends. Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, reported that people can still purchase multiple 16 oz. sodas; that's not included in the ban; he just hopes that people will think twice about consuming that much soda now that the convenience of it is being taken away.
I'm a big supporter of the anti-obesity campaign, but this is taking it a bit too far. Obesity in America is a seriously problem; I don't think it's something that new laws are going to fix, though. The elimination of oversized sodas won't do anything about fast food, obscenely large portions, lack of exercise, etc. Even if this new law did fix the problem, since when is it okay for officials to tell people what they can and cannot wash down their meals with?
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