Politics & Government

Urge to Limit Supersized Sodas Comes to Boston Area

First, New York. Now, Cambridge and possibly even Brookline are mulling the idea of legally restricting the size of some sodas as a way to fight the obesity problem. What do you think?

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg kind of started it: proposing the city restrict the size of certain sodas sold in the city as a way to tackle what doctors say are soaring obesity rates.

It sure does  make for good comedy; The Daily Show's Jon Stewart loves pointing out that under Bloomberg's proposal, a small amount of marijuana would elicit a bigger fine than a Big Gulp 

But.

Find out what's happening in Burlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Does Bloomberg have a point? Is taking at least one small regulatory step toward solving the obesity problem worth considering? Or is it an at-first hilarious, but then on-second-thought rather ominous governmental overreach?

Now the mayor of Cambridge has proposed her city study the idea. And last night, at the Brookline Board of Selectmen meeting, there was fleeting mention of the idea; the Boston Globe reports that Brookline "may also debate whether to limit the sale of soft drinks at its Town Meeting this fall."

Find out what's happening in Burlingtonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Could a soft drink restriction be coming to your town? If so, what do you think about that? Let us in the poll and in the comments section below.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here