Mayor Bloomberg has had a hard time finding people who support his proposed ban on sugary beverages larger than sixteen ounces, with even the First Lady and Bloomberg’s own daughter offering a less than enthusiastic response. Yet, the mayor of one city saw the public outcry and constant gibes from late night comedians and said “I want in.” On Monday, Mayor Henrietta Davis of Cambridge, Massachusetts, proposed a similar ban on selling absurdly large drinks in her city. Harvard and MIT students must be excited to learn that their caffeine-fueled study sessions may soon involve multiple breaks to refill reasonably sized cups.
Mayor Davis proposed the ban during a city council meeting on Monday night, saying she was inspired by Bloomberg’s plan. “In addition to being an obesity threat, soda is one of the contributing factors to an increasing rate in diabetes and heart disease amongst younger people,” Davis explained. Other council members were hesitant to bring the soda ban to Cambridge, saying the city should fear the comedic wrath of Jon Stewart. Per the Boston Globe:
But Cambridge City Councilor Leland Cheung said he was befuddled to see the proposal because there has been such a backlash against the idea in New York City. Cheung said the soda ban in New York has been ridiculed in the media, and is almost a nightly subject of the political comedy program “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” on Comedy Central.
“Before launching ourselves into the middle of another maelstrom, I would want to see how that sorted itself out in New York,” Cheung said.
The council voted to let its health subcommittee study this issue, so the city will have the opportunity to see if the law causes pandemonium on the streets of New York before coming to a final decision. Still, things could get even dicier in Cambridge. New Englanders don’t take kindly to any potential threats to their beloved Dunkin’ Donuts.
