Menino issues order to ban sugary drinks from city property

BOSTON -- Mayor Menino issuing an order to ban sugary drinks from city property. The goal is to curb obesity, but this move is a little hard to swallow for some.

The glass isn’t half empty or full - it’s empty of all sugary drinks sold and even advertised on all city property beginning in six months.

“As contracts are renegotiated, and new bids are issued, vendors will have to comply with these standards,” said Mayor Thomas Menino.

The mayor unveiled these new standards on a stoplight colored sign, encouraging healthier beverage habits with the executive director of his Public Health Commission and the Harvard School of Public Health.

“This is the right step to be taking,” said Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard School of Public Health. “We’re not punishing those individuals. They’re going to be punished enough directly from the health consequences down the road.”

“And at the societal level in terms of decreases in productivity and the rising health care costs,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer of the Boston Public Health Commission.

And for the mayor it’s another step in his high-fructose crusade. He calls his move to ban junk food and sugary drinks from public schools in 2004 the toughest political fight he’s had.

The mayor then toured the healthy food vendor trucks staged in City Hall Plaza. Opinions in the plaza are split.

“I would actually be in favor of them having a better menu and sugar, I probably wouldn’t get that upset about it,” said a man.

“I think it’s worth it to buy it. If you don’t like it, don’t buy it,” said another man.

The mayor says he hasn’t had a soda himself in two years.

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