The California State Senate’s Appropriations Committee has approved a bill that mandates sugary soft drinks to feature labels that warn of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
Under the new measure, which was approved on a 5-2 vote, bottled or canned sugary drinks distributors are required to place a warning on the front of all beverage containers with added sweeteners that contain 75 or more calories per 12 ounces.
State Senator Bill Monning (D-Carmel) has authored the Senate Bill (SB) 1000, known as 'The Sugary Drink Safety Warning Act' in a bid to ensure that all Californians are aware of the link existing between sugary drink consumption and the exploding rates of diabetes and obesity.
Expected to be taken up at the next senate floor, the bill will have its final senate vote soon.
Developed by a national panel of nutrition and public health experts, the label, would read: STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, as well as tooth decay.
Senator Bill Monning said consumers have every right to know information pertaining to the adverse health effects of having frequent sugary drinks.
"SB 1000 does exactly what the beverage industry has long said we should do - educate the public - and this is the appropriate public health response to the scientifically proven risks that liquid sugar poses to the public's health," Monning added.
A research has revealed that the risk of preventable diabetes increases by 26% by consuming a soda or two a day.
Sugary drinks, which also contribute to added calories in the American diet, are responsible for 43% of the additional calories consumed over the last 30 years, the research added.
Image: The new measure requires sugary soft drinks to contain labels that warn of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay. Photo: Courtesy of Naypong / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
