New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed ban on large sugary drinks has moved closer to becoming a law, KTVU reports.
The Digital Journal reports that the 11-member Board of Health appointed by Bloomberg met in Queens to discuss the mayor’s proposal Tuesday morning.
While the proposal has received widespread criticism, and a recent NY1-Marist poll shows 53 percent of those surveyed thought the ban would be a bad idea, many on the board said that the proposal didn’t go far enough.
“Milkshakes and milk coffee beverages have monstrous amounts of calories in them,” said board member Dr. Joel Forman. “I’m not so sure what the rationale is not to include those.”
Michael Phillips, another board member, asked about the possibility of banning large quantities of food. “What about the size of a hamburger or jumbo fries?”
Board member Bruce Vladeck said he saw other areas in which the ban could expand.
“Popcorn isn’t a whole lot better from a nutritional point of view than the soda is and may even be more calories,” Vladeck said.
Andrew Moesel, a New York Restaurant Association spokesman, said the board members’ comments were “very alarming.”
“I hope that as we go through the public hearing process, we don’t start including other things that New Yorkers value which is free choice and eating what they want, when they want it,” Moesel said.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that a public hearing will be held on July 24 and a final vote on the proposal is slated for September 13.
“I figure since it’s America, people should decide what they want to do,” said Abraham Wilkins, a New York resident. “What they (New York City officials) should do is stop trying to go around, judge people.”