SAN FRANCISCO—San Francisco lawmakers are pushing to put a Surgeon’s General Warning on sugary drinks, particularly soda. The label will read “WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This is a message from the City and County of San Francisco.”
This label was proposed in a three-part piece of legislation: other ordinances in the war against unnecessary sugar consumption would be eliminating sugary drinks from billboard or city advertisements and complete bans on public property. Supervisors Malia Cohen, Scott Wiener, and Eric Mar are at the forefront of this legislation, which was supported by the land use committee to be pushed further into implementation on Monday. These proposals are being suggested as an alternative option following a recent voter rejection of taxing sugary drinks.
San Francisco is taking big strides against obesity, attempting to eliminate the promotion of sugar consumption and encourage healthy eating and exercising practices. Institutions such as UCSF are already phasing out sugary drinks and implementing zero calorie healthy options for employees and patrons.
