You Won’t Believe What Warning Labels Might Start Appearing In California Grocery Stores

Western Journalism has covered the ongoing push among leftist California bureaucrats to include health warning labels on sugary drinks sold in the state. After failing to attract legislative support for a soda tax last year, state Sen. Bill Monning backed a bill that would spell out what many would conclude are the obvious results of overindulging in such beverages.

That proposal moved forward last week when the California Senate Appropriations Committee voted in favor of the warning label implementation.

According to language included in the bill, any sweetened drink with at least 75 calories per 12-ounce serving would be required to prominently include the following message:

“CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.”

Following the 5-2 vote in favor of Monning’s proposal, the bill will now go before the entire Senate body for consideration.

Though the bill has been sold as a means to attack what California Healthline calls the state’s “diabetes epidemic,” opponents recognize it opens the door for countless other food products to face similar regulations.

As the California American Beverage Association, CalBev, said in a statement earlier this year, sugary drinks represent just a small portion of the excess calories U.S. citizens take in through a typical diet.

“Only 4.0 percent of calories in the average American diet are derived directly from soda,” the group explained.

California’s leaders have a proven affinity for relying on regulations to target specific industries, though. In recent years, few products have been more harshly maligned by leftist politicos than soda.

Though ultimately unsuccessful, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg enthusiastically supported a ban on large soft drinks within the city. As a candidate, his successor, Bill de Blasio, vowed to continue pursuing that mission.

“I think the mayor is right,” he concluded, “and I would continue the legal process.”

Photo credit: André Faria Gomes (Flickr)

This post originally appeared on Western Journalism – Informing And Equipping Americans Who Love Freedom

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