Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to restrict the size of sugary drinks sold in New York City has earned international attention and renewed a national debate on obesity. On Tuesday, the plan faces its first face-to-face test with the public.
The city’s Board of Health, which will vote on the proposal in September, is holding its lone public hearing on the measure at the headquarters of the city’s health department in Long Island City, Queens. Representatives of the soft-drink, restaurant and movie-theater industries – which have already spent generously on a public-relations campaign opposing the plan – have turned out in droves.
The Bloomberg administration says it wants to fight runaway obesity rates in New York, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods. The beverage industry, which stands to lose millions in revenue from the plan, says the city is stripping away choices from consumers and hurting small businesses.
The hearing began shortly after 1 p.m. There is a packed house, and not a small police presence. Watch below for updates throughout the afternoon.
