A U.S. appeals court has blocked a San Francisco law that would have required health warnings on sugary drinks.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled on January 31 that the law violated protected commercial speech. The court also granted a preliminary injunction that prevents the labels from going into effect and moves the case back to lower courts.
The ruling is a victory for the American Beverage Association, California Retailers Association, and California State Outdoor Advertising Agency, which sued San Francisco after the city passed a law mandating health warnings on soda and other sugary beverages in 2015. The law would have required beverage advertisements within city limits to contain warnings that consuming beverages with added sugars contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay.
