The NYC Soda Ban Transforms, Predictably

I know Winter hasn't arrived yet in New York City, but grab your skis. No need to wax them either since where you're heading, the course is covered in soda and butter. That's where the NYC Health Police take all the stuff that's bad for us and bring it to dispose of. What's going on there brings to mind the movie The Untouchables, where Eliot Ness' team of Prohibition Agents, with their axes in hand, would smash barrels of illegal booze and let them run in the streets. Is this what's coming next?

Maybe. On these slopes, you need no lift passes, just a movie ticket. As was predicted here, the unelected NYC Board of Health, a group of members hand picked by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, took the first step Tuesday to enact the proposed large soda ban; a measure that will limit the amount of sugary drinks you can buy at restaurants, theaters, stadiums, cafes, hot dog carts and other venues, to 16 oz servings. The board officially opened the issue up to a public comment period, after which, they will vote on the measure. Any guess on which way they will vote? Read on.

Opponents of the ban say that their freedom of choice is being infringed upon. They say if someone wants to drink a 32 oz soda, they should be allowed to and it's not the government's role to approve it or not. Supporters of the ban say the effects of obesity on society far outweigh (those darn puns always pop up when I'm trying to be serious) the right of someone to choose what size drink they want.

But, here's where people really have an issue with the government taking liberties with their liberty; most people are smart enough to know that if you give in, just a little bit, the government will want more. And they won't stop there. They'll want to control more and more of your life's choices until they control every aspect of you daily lives. Those people who believe this are called paranoid by the other side. But it's happening, just as I predicted it would only a few weeks ago in my article about the Bloomberg soda ban.

Photo credit: shutterstock.com

The slippery slope is all greased up and Mayor Bloomberg is heading down it on his toboggan with his goggles on and his scarf flailing in the wind. Coke and Pepsi have been paying attention, but someone may want to channel Orville Redenbacher in a séance. During the board's discussion on Tuesday, several members voiced their support of the ban, asking why the board isn't considering going after other high-calorie food and drinks as well. One member wondered why there is an exemption for milk products noting that people "could still drink those large drinks", referring to milkshakes. And another said he didn't like the fact that restaurants could skirt the ban by offering free unlimited refills on soda. But, here's where the slope really gets greasy. Bruce Vladeck, one of the mayor's handpicked health board officials, said he's not satisfied with just a ban on sugary drinks. He wants the city to look into portion control for buttered popcorn sold at movie theaters stating "the popcorn isn't a whole lot better [than soda], from the nutritional point of view." When people wondered out loud "what's next", I'm thinking they were serious when they said hot dogs and ice cream cones. Could it be?


I guess the slippery slope paranoia was well justified. Not if you ask Mayor Bloomberg, though. I still think he believes in his heart he's doing the right thing for the citizens of New York City. When you have an ultra-elitist such as Bloomberg, with the means to carry out his vision, it's going to be a long and arduous course. And it wont be a slalom course. Nope, this course heads straight down. But, there are warning signs, so we can't say we were surprised by the 80' pine right in the middle.

This blog is the opinion of the author. None of the companies mentioned here have any affiliation with this blog, nor do they endorse its contents...but they should. Gregg W Shore is a 23 year beverage veteran who writes his blog @DrinkPro, A View of the Beverage Industry, from the Inside Out. Connect on LinkedIn and follow on Twitter @DrinkPro