New York Bans Large-Sized Sugary Drinks
New York has become the first American city to ban the sales of sugary drinks that are larger than 16 ounces (about half a litre) at restaurants, stadiums and movie theatres. With this measure New York plans to fight the war against obesity. Although many food and drink manufacturers in the city are against the measure, most health experts are in favour of it. A poll taken recently reports that the majority of New Yorkers are also against the ban.
When the ban goes into effect customers will no longer be allowed to buy large-sized sugared drinks at their favourite fast food restaurants. However, they can still buy large-sized bottles at grocery stores. The New York Board of Health states that sugared drinks make up 43% of the added sugar in an average American’s diet.
New York mayor Bloomberg has constantly promised to take steps to improve the health of the citizens in his city. During his term a law has also been introduced which makes restaurants inform people on the number of calories that their meals contain. The mayor also successfully banned cigarette smoking in public places.
According to health experts over half of the adults and over 40% of New York’s children are obese. For some time Mayor Bloomberg has tried to stop poor people from using their food stamps to buy sugary drinks and other sugared beverages.
Many doctors and other medical experts say that the measures do not go far enough. They claim that too little has been done to fight obesity. There should also be laws against buying too much candy and other sweets.
In the meantime consumers and company officials have been collecting signatures against the new law. They say that it treats people unfairly and restricts their right to eat and drink what they want. They claim that the law does not apply to drinks that are equally dangerous, like alcohol or milk shakes. Companies are threatened with a fine of up to 200 dollars if they violate the new law.
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Words
- according to = as said by ….
- added = not natural but with chemicals
- although = while
- apply = have an effect on
- average = normal
- ban = forbid
- beverage = drink
- board of health = group of people who make rules about health and medicine
- citizen = a person who lives in a place and has rights there
- claim = to say that something is true
- constantly = always, over and over again
- consumer = a person who buys something
- contain = have in them
- diet = the kind of food that a person eats
- equally = the same
- fine = money you must pay when you break the law
- food stamp = official piece of paper that the government gives to poor people to buy food
- grocery store = place where you can buy food
- however = but
- improve = to make better
- in favour of = for something
- in the meantime = time between two events
- law = rule
- majority = most of
- manufacturer = producer
- measure = here: law
- obesity = when someone is very fat in a way that is unhealthy
- official = person in a high position
- poll = to find out what people think by asking them certain questions
- public = place where everyone can go to
- recently = a short time ago
- restrict = limit
- sales = the selling of a product
- signature = when you put your name on a document
- step = measure, law
- sugary = with sugar
- term = period of time during which he is mayor
- treat = deal with
- violate = do something against the law