The California Senate has passed a bill requiring warning labels on some sugar-sweetened drinks.
SB 1000 would require that any sweetened nonalcoholic beverage (carbonated or noncarbonated) containing 75 calories or more per 12 fluid ounces be labeled with the warning, "Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay," according to a foodsafetynews.com story.
The warning label would not apply to 100% fruit or vegetable juices, dietary aids, infant formulas, or beverages whose main ingredient by weight is milk.
State Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) introduced the bill, and it was cosponsored by the California Center for Public Health Advocacy, the California Medical Association, the California Black Health Network, and the Latino Coalition for a Healthy California.
Advocates said the focus of the warning label campaign is on diabetes not just obesity as the labeling goes beyond the issue of calories. Diabetes rates have tripled in the past three decades, and a quarter of teenagers now have diabetes or prediabetes.
A recent poll found that nearly 75% of California voters support use of the warning label, including 86% of Latinos.
The beverage industry opposes the bill, claiming that putting government warning labels on more than 500 beverages will do nothing to change personal behaviors or teach people about healthy lifestyles.
The California Assembly now has to act on the bill by the end of August.
