It fizzes and bubbles.  It comes in cans and bottles of all shapes and sizes. It is safe to say that a typical American will consume at least one a day. It contributes to many of the health problems that are occurring in America. And finally the government is taking steps towards stopping it.
The New York City big drink ban is the first law made in this nation taking steps to better the health of the general population. What the New York City big drink ban does is ban the sale of all carbonated drinks with high amounts of sugar in restaurants and other places that serve prepared food. This rule does not include grocery stores or convenience stores. It also does not apply to diet soda or other calorie free drinks and anything that has 50 percent milk or milk substitute. The law does not restrict the ability to buy multiple drinks.
Despite popular belief, this law was not created to infringe on people’s rights. It was created to help curb obesity, a major problem in our society. Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg said that this is a way to fight obesity in N.Y. According to sources at New York CBS Local, the mayor said health related problems stemming from obesity cost the city $4 billion dollars per year. Of course, there are always those who are going to try and get around the ban.
It shouldn’t be about the people wanting options or trying to cheat the system. It’s obviously important if the local government is willing to step in and “infringe” on your constitutional rights.
Imagine if we all just stopped drinking soda, tried a healthier diet and exercised every day. That number would probably go down drastically. This will probably never happen because people don’t realize what a bad example they are setting for the children in our society. So maybe there is a method to their madness. Obesity contributes to heart disease and diabetes as well. According to New York CBS Local, at Mount Sinai, a hospital in N.Y., 20 percent of patients at the hospital are diabetic. This number is more than double the national percentage. This alone should be more than enough reason to curb your need to drink soda. But for most people it is not.
The laundry list of problems does not stop there. Soda also has other negative effects on the body. They can range from something as simple as tooth decay to reflux, gastroesophageal reflux and peptic ulcers.
No one ever wants to be in bad health. And in today’s world there is no need to. There are so many easy steps you can take to prevent contracting diabetes and gastroesophageal reflux and start living a healthier lifestyle.
The government’s ban on soft drinks is intended to stifle the unnecessary damage to our health, and the stubborn objections to limited soft drink consumption further emphasizes our society’s unhealthy food addiction. So don’t buy the extra cup. Drink your 16 ounces and get over it.