New York City's health board passes a law prohibiting the sale of sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces, an act that Mayor Michael Bloomberg says will save lives by reducing obesity.
New York City passed the first US ban of oversized sugary drinks on Thursday in its latest controversial step to reduce obesity and its deadly complications in a nation with a weight problem.
The mayoral-appointed city health board outlawed sugary drinks larger than 16 ounces (0.47 liters) nearly everywhere they are sold, except grocery and convenience stores. Violators of the ban, which does not include diet sodas, face a $200 fine.
At a news conference at City Hall, Bloomberg heralded the measure's passage as the single biggest step any city I think has ever taken to curb obesity.
We believe that it will help save lives, he added.
About one-third of Americans are obese, and about 10 per cent of the nation's healthcare bill is tied to obesity-related diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and hypertension, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
