Calif. going after sugary drinks — again
By Lydia O’Connor, Huffington Post
If the soft drink industry thought its fight with health reformers ended in the San Francisco Bay Area last election season, a new bill in the California legislature may be a rude awakening, reviving the movement to cut the state’s sugary beverage consumption.
“I don’t think this issue is going to go away — not given the increasing concern with obesity, especially childhood obesity,” Larry Gerston, a political analyst and San Jose State University professor, told The Huffington Post.
Last fall’s soda battles focused on taxing the sweet drinks. The new challenge is warning labels. California Senate Majority Leader Bill Monning, D-Carmel, introduced a proposal Wednesday to put warnings on beverages containing added sweeteners with at least 75 calories per 12 ounces. The labels would read: “STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.”
“Given the rock solid scientific evidence showing the dangers of sugary beverages, the State of California has a responsibility to inform consumers about products proven to be harmful to the public’s health,” Monning said in a press release. “This bill will give Californians the at-a-glance information they need to make more healthful choices every day.”
I call bull on the motive being our health. The state lawmakers are looking for all the revenue they can find, as long as it mostly doesn’t affect THEM. Chances are pretty good that most of them don’t drink cheap ol’ soda pops.
Our legislators always seem to exclude themselves and their cronies from painful new rules. Gas taxes? No problem, they drive state issued cars, and the gas is supplied for them too. How about CRV fees; anybody ever notice how you pay CRV on sodas, juices and beer, but not on hard liquor or wine. What DO they drink at those Capitol functions?
What a coincidence.
They want labels warning that sodas are dangerous? Seriously? We do NOT need government to tell us that too much sugar is bad for us. We KNOW that. Some people care, some don’t. All the labels in the world won’t change that.
We clearly have too many people making up too many new rules for us. They won’t be happy till we’re all in some sort of lock-up, where we’ll be completely safe from making any poor choices.
You (demopublicans) vote for these idiots time and time again. All they want is to control every aspect of your life, in return they will be favorable to your union, bank, cause…..seems like a reasonable trade.
Apple juice pure sugar, orange juice pure sugar, prune juice pure sugar, potatoes pure carbohydrates, honey pure sugar, milk has lots of sugar (lactose), and bread is full of carbos, etc.
Education has really worked to inform our population as to the best choices for nutrition, NOT.
So now the uber elite ignorant totalitarian useful fools in Sacramento want to Nazify our food choices.
No problems here for a free society.
Maybe a skull and crossbones on the label will be the most effective way to discourage certain food choices.
Im pretty sure that the only people who look at labels are the already health conscious. Most people who look at the labels are only looking for their favorite brand. My husband drinks at least a 6 pack of Coke daily. And he smokes. And he weighs 165 lbs. And he passes all health exams. Its time we take our country back from the Nazi politicians.
Nazis put warning labels on food? Did not know that. The bastards! Same time, same station tomorrow?
The Cigarette machine was invented in the later 1800’s and America’s affair with smoking started shortly after. Use of Cigarettes jumped during both World Wars.
American consumption of Cigarettes peaked in the 1960’s.
In 1966, the first Warning label was printed on Cigarettes; “Caution: Cigarette Smoking May be Hazardous to Your Health.” Cigarette use in America started to fall slightly.
In 1970, the Cigarette Warning label was changed; “Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined that Cigarette Smoking is Dangerous to Your Health.” Cigarette use in America started to fall considerably.
In 1985, the Cigarette Warning label was changed again: “SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Smoking Causes Lung Cancer, Heart Disease, Emphysema, And May Complicate Pregnancy.” Cigarette use in American fell sharply. Today it is less then half the usage of the 1960’s.
Coca Cola was introduced in the later 1800’s by a Civil War Veteran who was addicted to Morphine, Colonel John Pemberton. Colonel Pemberton thought that substituting Cocaine for Morphine would help addicts quit using Morphine. Unfortunately, Pemberton died via Opium over dose in 1894. Cocaine was used in Coca Cola until about 1905, depends on what you call “Coca Leaves.”
Anyway, today’s Coca Cola formula uses 10 Teaspoons of Sugar per 12 Fluid Ounces of beverage. As an experiment, I suggest putting 10 Teaspoons of Sugar in a 12 Ounce glass of water and see for yourself.
So, what is wrong with Warning Labels again?
ps. Yes, I occasionally drink a Coke, Pepsi, 7Up or Ginger Ale today, but I thin it down with a lot of water, ice and sometimes Rum.
Exactly Rock. A lot of kids and even adults these days are practically addicted to these drinks, and it’s obviously bad for their health, so why not put a warning? I have also heard that one bottle of Coke contains more salt than a pizza. Do you know if this is true? I think the idea behind the salt is it dehydrates you, so you want to have another, and another, and… That way, they sell more drinks!
The basic ingredients for Coca Cola (modern formula) are something like these: water, sugar, phosphoric acid, caffeine, vanilla, lime, lemon, cloves, extract of Kola nut, carbon dioxide and caramel coloring.
Sodium is mentioned but not Sodium Chloride aka Salt per se. However, Sodium comes in a number of forms. I have found some web site(s) claiming 15mg of Sodium in Cola but the same site(s) claim Milk contains about 100mg per glass.