Baltimore Bans Sugary Drinks From Kids' Menus

Baltimore became the first large city in the United States to ban sugary drinks from children's menus after a new law took effect on Thursday.

Baltimore, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 20th Jul, 2018 ) :Baltimore became the first large city in the United States to ban sugary drinks from children's menus after a new law took effect on Thursday.

The Baltimore City Healthy Beverages for Children's Meals bill makes water, milk, and fruit juice the default beverage options for children's meals offered at restaurants in the city. In a statement, city officials said the move was an effort to improve childhood health in a city where one out of three children are obese.

The science is clear: one of the biggest contributors to childhood obesity is sugary drinks, and childhood obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, and early death, said Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City Health Commissioner. Taking out empty calories from sugary drinks is a powerful lifestyle change we can make to help our children to get and stay healthy. This law will help families make the healthy choice the easy choice.

Parents can still choose to order a sugary drink for their child.

But restaurants are required to offer an alternative or else face a $100 fine.

The Restaurant Association of Maryland opposed the bill, claiming it could hurt restaurant profits, CNN reported.

Some quick-service/limited-service restaurants may be forced to use single-servings of water, milk or juice for children's meals, which often cost more per serving than fountain drinks, said Melvin R. Thompson, the RAM's senior vice president of government affairs and public policy. The increased cost could cause some restaurants to either increase the price of children's meals or sell beverages separately. Such a change in the bundled price, or selling beverages separately, may reflect negatively on restaurants if customers perceive a decrease in the value of children's meal pricing.

Seven cities in California, the county of Santa Clara, Calif., and the city of Lafayette, Colo., also require restaurants to offer water, milk, or fruit juice for kid's meals.