New York's Soda Ban Has a New Foe-The NAACP

Fighting the good fight.

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Mayor Bloomberg's soda ban will still go into effect on March 12, but people continue to fight it. Now, the NAACP has joined the fight. According to the Associated Press, the New York branches of the NAACP and the Hispanic Federation have joined forces with beverage makers to prevent the rule from being enacted.

Both groups will appear at a hearing today to discuss what they're calling an "inconsistent and undemocratic regulation." They are well aware of the "obesity rates that are higher than average among blacks and Hispanics" according to the CDC, but with obesity rates dropping, they feel as though "freedom of choice" should prevail.

Those who oppose the ban say it is "too narrow to be fair," and that it was pushed through a Board of Health that Bloomberg appointed under shady circumstances. For example, the ban will prevent bars and restaurants from selling the dreaded big sugary drinks, but not 7-Eleven. They argue that the ban should've been passed through City Council.

[via Gothamist]

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