NAACP Supports Soda Company Lawsuit Against NYC's Large Soda Ban

On Wednesday, historic civil rights group the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and the Hispanic Federation joined the fight between New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and soda companies—but on the side of the beverage companies.

Soda corporations are fighting back against Bloomberg’s ban of soda bottles over 16 ounces being sold in bars, restaurants and bodegas which will go into effect on March 12. However, opponents of the super-size ban call it "inconsistent and undemocratic regulation" and say that it denies people the “freedom of choice.”

Supporters on the other hand point to that the city’s increased obesity rate stands at 24 percent and scientific studies which link obesity and soda. Care for obesity, they argue, places a financial burden on the government which is responsible for paying about 60 percent of the $4.7 billion that it costs each year, according to city Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley.

Because the epidemic of obesity among African Americans and Hispanics outweighs the national average, critics say it’s almost hypocritical for mega minority empowerment to stand against New York City’s anti-obesity soda ban initiative.

However, the NAACP released a statement saying the ban will disproptionately hurt minority-owned bodegas and mom-and-pop stores since large soda bottles can still be sold in grocery stores. To the contrary, city health department officials say minority neighborhoods would be among the key beneficiaries of a limit on the sale of the high calorie drinks.

Gawker points out that the NAACP and Hispanic Federation may have been influenced by soda corporations becasue they receive large donations from Coca-Cola and Pepsi. According to Gawker:

"The Hispanic Federation's annual gala is April 11, at the Waldorf-Astoria. There, they will present their "Corporate Leadership Award" to The Coca-Cola Company, which is among their funders. The NAACP has recently received a $100,000 donation from the Coca-Cola foundation,along with another $35K to the NAACP New York State Conference. They recently gave an image award to PepsiCo (which will doubtless be repaid with donations). “At its worst, the ban arbitrarily discriminates against citizens and small-business owners in African-American and Hispanic communities,” the brief said."