San Francisco Is Determined To Control Diabetes, Place Health Warning On Sweetened Beverage Ads

San Francisco legislators voted on Tuesday giving approval on placement of health warning on sweetened beverages ads, according to a news report from CBS. If given the second approval from the Board of Supervisors and the mayor does not reject it, the city will be the first in the country to require the warning.

Reports say that the warning to be placed on ads is aimed at educating consumers on the potential health risks that come with drinking sweetened beverages. The legislation would put up a warning on ads that says: “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.”

Supporters of the bill believe that sodas and sugary drinks can greatly contribute to diabetes. They also believe that consumers should know that there are health risks that follows soda consumption and should consider them before making any purchase.

"Requiring health warnings on soda ads also makes clear that these drinks aren't harmless -- indeed, quite the opposite -- and that the puppies, unicorns, and rainbows depicted in soda ads aren't reality," Scott Wiener, one of the members of the board that approved the legislation said in a CNN report.

Wiener also added that the drinks are “making people sick”, has fuelled “explosion of type 2 diabetes”. According to him, the public should know about it through education.

The approval of the measure is victory on the part of Wiener and other advocates--a victory that follows the defeat in 2014 when the same group tried to push a bill placing tax on sweetened beverages. In a report from TIME, Wiener was asked if advocates will try again to pursue tax on sodas, to which he replied that there are discussions on that matter, but “it’s too soon to say”.

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