Food Bans

Let the games begin! San Francisco's new policy of dictating that vending machines on city property can no longer dispense sodas and other sweetened beverages may be the first domino to fall in a long line of "domino" cities feverishly working on similar crackdowns of their own. While at first glance it seems a rather innocuous policy, the ramifications of such a ban could be far reaching. In addition to the ban on sodas in city vending machines San Francisco's mayor also wants to place a retail fee on soda's and sweetened drinks as well. The mayor's proposal for the fee is no more popular now than it was when he first stepped onto his "fight obesity" soap box over two years ago. The reservations posed by those opposed to the soda ban and fee are as strong today as there were then. Number one is the fact that this will undoubtedly be just the tip of the iceberg. Once this type of biased policy is put into effect where do you draw the line? Can bans and additional taxes on other foods deemed "unhealthy" by certain food activists be far behind? And will taxes, bans and surcharges really stop people from indulging in sweetened beverages or snack foods? Ask a smoker.