California Lawmaker Calls for Health Warnings on Sugary Beverages

Under the proposal, all 12-ounce beverages sold in the state that contain 75 or more calories and added sweeteners would be required to carry a health-warning label.

February 17, 2014

SACRAMENTO – Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages sold in California should carry a health-warning label, according to state Senator Bill Monning.

A bill introduced last week would require sodas and most other sugar-sweetened beverages sold in California to carry warning labels for obesity, diabetes and tooth decay, reports Reuters. The bill is the first proposal of its kind that would put the state, “which banned sodas and junk food from public schools in 2005, back in the vanguard of a growing national movement to curb the consumption of high-caloric beverages that medical experts say are largely to blame for an epidemic of childhood obesity.”

Reuters notes that Monning said his labeling bill is “akin to health warnings already carried on tobacco and alcohol products” and focuses on health risks linked to sugary drinks.

“When the science is this conclusive, the state of California has a responsibility to take steps to protect consumers…I think there will still be opposition from industry, but we’ll probably have stronger support in the legislature,” Monning said in an interview with Reuters.

The bill proposes that all beverage containers with added sweeteners that have 75 calories or more per 12 ounces would be required to carry a label that reads: “State of California Safety Warning: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.”

In response to the legislation, CalBev, the California arm of the American Beverage Association, said in a statement: “It is misleading to suggest that soft drink consumption is uniquely responsible for weight gain. In fact, only 4.0% of calories in the average American diet are derived directly from soda.”

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