CEI Analyst on Court Overturning Soda Ban in NYC: “Sweet!”

WASHINGTON, Mar. 11, 2013 — A state judge in New York has struck down the ban enacted by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg on sales of sodas larger than 16 ounces. The city has indicated it will appeal immediately.

Michelle Minton, Fellow in Consumer Policy Studies at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, has been a vocal opponent of the ban since it was proposed. She had the following to say about today’s news:

“My first thought, of course, is “Sweet!” My second is that although it’s great a judge has recognized the error of Mayor Bloomberg’s ways, it shouldn’t take a court ruling for New York City residents to have the right to make their own decisions about how and when to consume goods like soda.

“As I have said before, the constant onslaught of regulation that has been the hallmark of Mayor Bloomberg’s administration hurts New York’s economy. It favors large corporations over smaller businesses and hurts those with low incomes more than those with high incomes. More importantly, it raises some important questions about who has the right to choose what an individual consumes. As silly as the soda ban may seem, it forces us to consider: When do policies that ‘nudge’ us toward ‘healthier lifestyles’ become unacceptable intrusions into our lives?”