Wednesday, July 25, 2012

COUNCILMAN KOPPELL OPPOSES BAN ON SIZE OF SUGARY DRINKS


At the Public Hearing conducted by the Board of Health on July 24, 2012, Council Member Oliver Koppell opposed the proposed ban on the sale of sugary beverages over 16 ounces in all restaurants and theaters, food carts and sports arenas regulated by the Health Department. In his testimony, Koppell said, “The proposed regulation is an obstruction of the rights of New Yorkers to choose for themselves the size of the beverages they want to consume and is a clear overreaching of the government into people’s everyday lives.”
He pointed out that the regulation is arbitrary and capricious insofar as it does not apply to all stores and other outlets serving drinks and it does not cover all high sugar beverages, just a select few, not based on health criteria.  Only the size of the cup is regulated, enabling a customer to purchase two or more 16 ounce drinks. It does not prohibit free refills and does not limit the prohibition to minors who arguably do not have the maturity to make a sound choice.
Comparing this regulation to the ban on smoking in restaurants, Koppell said that tobacco is a much more dangerous substance and, furthermore, the rule was enacted after it was passed by the legislative body elected by the people and then signed by the Mayor.  He pointed out that the prohibition on the ban of oversize sugary beverages, which affects thousands of businesses and millions of consumers, will be promulgated only by the Board of Health, an agency whose members are solely appointed by the Mayor.  )

Koppell acknowledged that obesity is a serious issue in New York and across the country, but said, “This regulation is neither a proper nor effective way of addressing the problem.” People are concerned, he said, that this infringement on the rights of New Yorkers will expand to other areas, such as mandating vegetables at every meal, regulating the size of candy bars or pizza slices or prohibiting bars from serving more than two drinks a customer.

Many healthy and health-conscious New Yorkers consume sugary beverages as part of countless pastimes such as movies or sports exhibitions and most of the time it is not reflective of an unhealthy lifestyle,” Koppell said.  “Regulation of this consumption will be regarded by many as an intrusion on their individual freedom, an opinion with which I concur.”
In conclusion, he said, “Let the people choose for themselves how much soda they wish to consume.  There are more effective approaches to battling obesity.”

We will add other comments as they come in.


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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What about the candy bars ,hot dogs,buttery popcorn,and other fattening bad food choices offered.

What should be offered is healthy foods but the real problem is the garbage food served in schools. That is what is making children malnurished and fat.

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