San Francisco Wants To Put Warning Labels On Soda

San Francisco really wants its residents to know that the city government is not messing around when it comes to health. Last year a measure to tax all soft drinks and other sugary beverages was voted down. The newest measure from the Golden Gate state is a proposal to put warning labels on soda, similar to those you'd see on a pack of cigarettes or a bottle of vodka. The proposed legislation, spearheaded by supervisor Scott Wiener, was introduced earlier this week. If it's passed, your bottles of Coke and Pepsi would read "WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. This is a message from the City and County of San Francisco."

"There's an enormous amount of advertising of soda and other sugary drinks that associate them with love and happiness and everything good in the world when in reality it's the largest source of sugar in the American diet, and it's making people sick," Wiener told SFGate. The legislation, if passed, would also apply to any soft drink advertisements posted in the city, including billboards, posters, and signs in sports stadiums. Failure to comply would lead to fines for any retailer or distributor.

Similar legislation proposed by supervisor Malia Cohen would ban soda ads from publically owned properties such as bus stops and parks. Yet another piece of legislation, this time from supervisor Eric Mar, would prohibit city employees from purchasing soda using city funds.