Last updated on June 13th, 2024 at 05:23 pm
Seven months after local voters rejected San Francisco’s proposed tax on sugary drinks, city lawmakers changed tactics in hopes of curbing soft drink consumption in the city. A three-person panel of San Francisco supervisors voted to advance a package of laws that zero in on soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages, including what would be the first “warning label” on these products in the U.S.
“Drinking beverages with added sugar leads to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. This is a message from the City and County of San Francisco,” the proposed warning label on the beverages would read.
The proposals also would seek to ban advertising of sugary drinks on city property and ban city departments from purchasing sugar-sweetened beverages.
Lisa Katic, a representative for the American Beverage Association, told the San Francisco panel that “important facts were missing from their discussion” on the sources of obesity, such as inactivity, genetics and overconsumption of food items like pizza and burgers.
“When we get into warning collective audiences of people, it’s ineffective,” she said. “People are tired of being told what they can’t do and can’t have.”
The proposals now head to the full board of supervisors for consideration.
