Ban of Supersized Drinks

New York City became the first city in the country to ban supersized soft drinks. The mayor of the city favored this proposal in the efforts to curb unhealthy eating and drinking habits. The health board of the city approved the mayor’s proposal to cap fountain beverages and sweetened bottled drinks sold at delis, restaurants and movie theatres among other social facilities or locations. The ban came to effect on March 12 2012, and it targets drinks that have calorie levels high than 25 calories for every 8 ounces. This ban does not include juice drinks or milk and dairy products (Park, 2012). This ban can be seen as a bold move against the obesity rates that are currently plaguing the city. It will also provide impetus for the anti-obesity campaign as they seek to lower the obesity rates in the city. However, the ban will affect thousands of businesses, individuals and families because they depend on the manufacturing, production and sales of the soft drink.One of the leading arguments for the ban has its foundations on providing healthy drinking choices for the New York residents. The enormous amounts of calories in the drinks are risk factors for obesity. According to The Time Health Land, half of the New York adults can be said to be obese. Therefore, banning the drinks will reduce the risks associated with obesity, and help the individuals manage their diets. The ban will also prevent children and youths from accessing the drinks; hence, reducing the probability of calorie associated health problems (Park, 2012). Youths and children are the most frequenters of movies and social places, and they buy and consume the drinks in enormous amounts, thus, exposing them to the high calorie levels and risks for obesity, cancer and heart problems. The ban could also be supported for environmental reasons. It is important to note that the drinks are packed in large containers and once the consumer finishes drinking the product, they mostly dispose the containers in the streets and social spaces. This leads to environmental degradation and littering. The leading argument against the ban is the propagation of burdensome government regulations that inhibit business growth and economic activities. According to the city’s restaurants association spokesperson, the ban will affect the functioning of restaurants and fast foods courts and skew the competitiveness of the businesses. The ban will affect the profit margins of the firms and businesses that deal in the soft drinks (Petrecca, 2012). For instance, fountain drinks comprise high margin items for the food industry in the city. Additionally, the ban can be considered as an impeachment of people’s ability to make choices. The mayor appears to be dictating to the residents what to eat or drinks, regardless of their choices. ConclusionThe ban on supersized drinks in New York City has its merits and demerits. The ban is a useful step towards the reduction of the consumption of high-risk foods by the city residents. It is a bold step and initiative for …