New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is defending his large soda ban, claiming that it isn’t really a ban.
“We’re not banning anything,” told Bob Schieffer on ‘Face the Nation‘ on Sunday morning. “It’s called portion control.”
The law, which is set to go into effect next week, prohibits establishments from selling sugary beverages bigger than 16 ounces.
Critics of the law say Bloomberg is overstepping his bounds by legislating what people eat and argue that the law can be easily bypassed.
And Bloomberg himself admitted as much to Schieffer.
“If you want to have 32 ounces, just buy two 16-ounce cups,” the Mayor said. “Take them back to your seat. If you want 64 ounces, take four cups back. But what’s likely to happen here is that you’ll take one and probably not come back for the second, but it’s totally your choice.”
Nanny Bloomberg also brushed off the notion that his soda ban would be confusing for companies like Starbucks.
“They don’t know what to do about some of the coffees that they sell,” Schieffer said. “What about all that?”
“Number one, that’s ridiculous,” Bloomberg responded. “They can figure out — Starbucks knows how to market things, knows how to package things. They can change instantly when it’s in their interest to do so.”
The Mayor argued that more people will die from obesity than from starvation this year and that something must be done to fight the weight problem in the United States. He said the soda ban was simply a way to inform people about the health risks associated with over consumption.
“We’ve just got to do something, and all we’re doing in New York is reminding you that it’s not in your interest to have too many empty calories,” Bloomberg said.
Whatever you want to call it, Bloomberg, a ban is still a ban.
