NYC Soda Ban Takes Effect Tuesday, Restaurants Downsize Drinks

Thousands of restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in the Big Apple are preparing for the controversial ban of sugary drinks larger than 16-ounces that is to take effect Tuesday

To combat the rising obesity rate among New Yorkers, which has risen from 18 to 24 percent, billionaire mayor and now social engineer Michael Bloomberg pushed the proposal through with the approval of the New York City Board of Health in Sept. 12, 2012.

"This is the single biggest step any city, I think, has ever taken to curb obesity," Bloomberg said moments after the vote passed. "It's certainly not the last step that lots of cities are going to take, and we believe that it will help save lives." 

Health officials say large sweetened drinks can lead to diabetes and other health related complications because of the high amount of calories that don't make people feel full. According to the city's health department, 5,000 New Yorkers die annually from obesity related health problems.

Now, less than 24-hours before the ban goes into effect, every establishment in the city that gets regularly inspected by the health department is making the switch to smaller cups, others are foregoing sugar, and for some it's business as usual as they hope a court decision will overturn the ban.

But that doesn't mean a New Yorker can't get a legally allowed jumbo sized cup of dead calories. 7-Eleven is outside the city's regulatory reach and will still be serving its king-size Big Gulp drinks. Vending machines and newsstands are also exempt.  

This is the latest victory for Bloomberg and the nanny state. The media tycoon previously banned smoking in city bars and public parks as well as forced chain restaurants to print calorie counts on their menus. 

For the billionaire, fighting tobacco and soda companies is only another day in the office.

"I just spent roughly $600 million of my own money to try to stop the scourge of tobacco," Bloomberg joked back in Sept. during the soda ban vote. "I'm looking for another cause. How much were they spending again?"