From Your Health Journal…..”Just wanted to follow up with a very interesting article from March 11th in Newsday written by Ken Schachter entitled NYC soda ban: State judge Milton Tingling overturns controversial ban on sugary drinks. I encourage you all to visit the Newsday web site (link provided below) to read the complete article. This article is the next chapter on a topic we have discussed here a few times. In some cities in the United States, there has been discussion regarding taxing and/or banning various soft drinks. First, the image on the Newsday article brought a grin to my face. It is an image of a man drinking a big gulp soda with a sign in his hand that says “Hands Off My Bladder.” It was humorous to me, but also important. There are two sides to this issue. Some people feel that government has no business in telling people how to eat or drink. Others say they do, as health care costs may go through the roof in the future. But, recently, a State Supreme Court judge in Manhattan Monday blocked New York City’s proposed ban on jumbo sugary drinks. It appears that Mayor Bloomberg’s office will appeal this decision. This is going to be an interesting debate. I am not quite sure which side I agree with, but the outcome will surely be followed in many areas of the United States. Thank you Newsday for posting this content.”

From the article…..

A State Supreme Court judge in Manhattan Monday blocked New York City’s proposed ban on jumbo sugary drinks, which was scheduled to take effect Tuesday.

In a Twitter posting, the Bloomberg administration promptly vowed to appeal the decision.

“We are confident the measure will ultimately be upheld,” the tweet said.

The controversial edict championed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg would have barred businesses that get letter grades from the city’s health department from selling sugary drinks in sizes greater than 16 ounces, in a bid to tackle the city’s 58 percent obesity rate.

The American Beverage Association and other industry groups sued to block the rules.

The city “has the ability to do this and the obligation to try to help,” Bloomberg had said last month.

Some 127,000 Hudson Valley residents commute to Manhattan to work, according to Census Bureau figures from 2009.

Before the judge’s ruling short-circuited the city’s plans, some Westchester County residents warned that the city’s actions could trigger an uprising by fans of supersized beverages.

“It’s the beginning of a revolution if you ask me,” John Porrotta of Yonkers said. “It’s like Prohibition again.”

The 29-year-old pizza parlor worker said New York City’s restrictions also could send borough residents in search of giant drinks across the suburban frontier.

“I mean people come up here to buy cigarettes, so why not come up here to get the sugar as well?” he said.

Another Yonkers resident, Linda Bona, 65, agreed that those seeking giant beverages would not be denied.

“I believe people will definitely cross the border to get sugar,” she said. “They go where they want to to get what they want. They go the whole nine yards.”

To read the complete article…..Click here