Consumers Sour on Sugary Drink Ban

By JANURIE ULETT

Mayor Bloomberg’s recent push to extend the ban on supersize sodas statewide – thereby including such venues as supermarkets and pizza deliveries in the prohibiton – sparked a less than sweet reaction from ordinary New Yorkers on Tuesday.

“It’s about personal responsibility so it’s really not Bloomberg’s business what I drink,” said Flatbush resident Evelyn Aponte.

This view was echoed by other local resdidents

“No matter what they decide to ban, people are going to eat bad if they want to,”said Brooklyn resident Rachel Minchuk. “Eating habits are hard to change”

“You have no right to make people’s decision,” said Sandra Dee Douse.” Of Rosedale, Queens. “People may not make the right decision but it’s their decision.”

Under a law that takes effect March 12, movie theaters, restaurants  and food carts regulated by the city Health Department are banned from selling sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces

However, Professor of Brooklyn College’s Health and Nutrition Science Program, Kiyoka Koizumi, said people sometimes need strong incentive to change unhealthy habits. “We need government intrusion, certain regulations, and control because it’s necessary to avoid serious health problems”, said Koizumi. Koizumi cited other circumstances when the government has stepped in to insure healthy lifestyles, such as immunization gainst disease.

Some consider the ban long overdue.

“They should have put a tax on the soda a long time ago like they did with the candy,” said Manhattan resident Pat Behr.”Soda is no healthier than candy. It’s liquid cigarettes,”

“People don’t need to drink too much soda anyway,” said Flatbush resident Violet Peperx. “They should moderate the bad things they eat and drink “

In December 2011, Mayor Michael R Bloomberg created a multi- agency task force to advise aggressive solutions to fight obesity which kills some 5,800 New Yorkers yearly, say health experts

Despite resident’s objections,  the actions of the task force appear to be successful  based on the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report in 2011 which showed obesity rates between the school years of 2006 and 2007 and 2010 and 2011 dropped 1.2 percent from 21.9 to 20.7 percent. In December 2012, City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley reported a 5.5 percent decline in obesity in school children from 2007 to 2011.