Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rcrh6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-28T22:53:03.920Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A Proposed Ban on the Sale to and Possession of Caloric Sweetened Beverages by Minors in Public

Public Health and the Law

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2021

Extract

Obesity is the definitive epidemic of the modern era in the United States. Its well-documented public health impacts, especially related to children and adolescents, are horrific. Nearly one-third of American minors are overweight; over 50% of them are obese. Already, these kids suffer from multiple adverse physical and mental health conditions. Sadly, absent serious communal and individual interventions, their lives may be cut short compared to their own parents’ life expectancy. While recent surveillance suggests childhood obesity may be trending down slightly in some populations, public health experts remain concerned about the threat obesity poses to the health of America's youth.

The concurrent travesty underlying childhood obesity is the relative societal failure to slow and reverse its spread.

Type
JLME Column
Copyright
Copyright © American Society of Law, Medicine and Ethics 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ogden, C. L. et al., “Prevalence of Obesity and Trends in Body Mass Index among US Children and Adolescents, 1999–2010”, JAMA 307, no. 5 (2012): 483490, at 485.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Connor, A., “Soda Bans in Schools Have Limited Impact”, New York Times, November 7, 2011, available at <http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/07/soda-bans-in-schools-have-limited-benefit/?_r=1> (last visited February 13, 2014).Google Scholar
See Grynbaum, M. M., “New York Soda Ban to Go Before States Top Court”, New York Times, October 17, 2013, available at <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/nyregion/new-york-soda-ban-to-go-before-states-top-court.html> (last visited February 13, 2014).Google Scholar
See O'Connor, , supra note 2.Google Scholar
See McGuinness, S. A., “Time to Cut the Fat: The Case for Government Anti-Obesity Legislation”, Journal of Law & Health 25, no. 1 (2012): 4183, at 65–66.Google Scholar
Freund, E., The Police Power: Public Policy and Constitutional Rights (Callaghan & Company, 1904): at 34; Allied Structural Steel Co. v. Spannaus, 438 U.S. 234, 241 (1978); see Gonzales v. Oregon, 546 U.S. 243, 270 (2006).Google Scholar
See, e.g., Tenn. Code Ann. § 57-5-301(a) (1) (2013).Google Scholar
See, e.g., Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 202.2493(6)(a)(1) (2010).Google Scholar
See, e.g., Cal. Health & Saf. Code § 11110 (2013).Google Scholar
See, e.g., R.R.S. Neb. § 71–2508 (2012).Google Scholar
See, e.g., N.C. Gen. Stat. § 18C–131(d) (2012).Google Scholar
See, e.g., Fla. Stat. § 847.012(3) (2013).Google Scholar
See, e.g., Fla. Stat. § 790.17 (2)(a) (2013).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
See, e.g., Conn. Gen. Stat. § 29–355a (2013).Google Scholar
Jason, L. A., RWJF Program Results: Restricted Access to Cigarettes and Fines for Possession Reduce Underage Smoking, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (May 2008), available at <http://www.rwjf.org/content/dam/farm/reports/program_results_reports/2008/rwjf15127> (last visited February 13, 2014); Jason, L. A. et al., “A Randomized Trial Evaluating Tobacco Possession-Use-Purchase Laws in the USA”, Social Science & Medicine 67, no. 11 (2008): 17001707, at 1703, 1706; Jason, L. A. et al., “Active Enforcement of Cigarette Control Laws in the Prevention of Cigarette Sales to Minors”, JAMA 266, no. 22 (191): 3159–3161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stanton, W. R. et al., “Reasons for Smoking or Not Smoking in Early Adolescence”, Addictive Behaviors 18, no. 3 (1993): 321329.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DiFranza, J. R. et al., “Enforcement of Underage Sales Laws as a Predictor of Daily Smoking Among Adolescents –A National Study”, BMC Public Health 9 (April 2009): 17, at 1, available at <http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/9/107> (last visited November 19, 2013).Google Scholar
Carpenter, C. S. et al., “Alcohol Control Policies and Youth Alcohol Consumption: Evidence from 28 Years of Monitoring the Future”, B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy 7, no. 1 (2007): 121, at 16–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taber, D. R. et al., “Banning All Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Middle Schools: Reduction of In-School Access and Purchasing but Not Overall Consumption”, Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine 166, no. 3 (2012): 256262.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Alliance for a Healthier Generation, American Beverage Association, Cadbury Schweppes Americas Beverages, Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, Inc. Memorandum of Understanding (2006).Google Scholar
Ogden, C. L. et al., “Consumption of Sugar Drinks in the United States, 2005–2008”, NCHS Data Brief no. 71 (2011): 18, at 4.Google Scholar
See, e.g., State of Conn. Gen. Assemb., Office of Legis. Research, Possession of Tobacco Products by Minors, 2005-R-0269 (March 4, 2005), available at <http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/rpt/2005-r-0269.htm> (last visited February 13, 2014); Community on Developing a Strategy to Reduce & Prevent Underage Drinking, Reducing Underage Drinking: A Collective Responsibility (2004), at 162–66, 180–84.+(last+visited+February+13,+2014);+Community+on+Developing+a+Strategy+to+Reduce+&+Prevent+Underage+Drinking,+Reducing+Underage+Drinking:+A+Collective+Responsibility+(2004),+at+162–66,+180–84.>Google Scholar
Dent, C. W. et al., “Community Level Alcohol Availability and Enforcement of Possession Laws as Predictors of Youth Drinking”, Preventive Medicine 40, no. 3 (2005): 355362, at 360–361.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wakefield, M. Giovino, G., “Teen Penalties for Tobacco Possession, Use, and Purchase: Evidence and Issues”, Tobacco Control 12 (2003): i6i13, at i11.Google ScholarPubMed
Jason, L. A. et al., “Evaluating the Effects of Enforcements and Fines on Youth Smoking”, Critical Public Health 13, Supp. 1 (2003): 3345, at 33.Google Scholar
Id., at 41–42.Google Scholar
Model Ordinance Regulating Sales of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages § II.020 (ChangeLab Solutions 2013).Google Scholar
DeBoer, M. D. et al., “Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain in 2- to 5-Year-Old Children”, Pediatrics 132, no. 3 (September 2013): 19, at 5, available at <http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/07/31/peds.2013-0570.full.pdf> (last visited February 13, 2014).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lesser, L. I. et al., “Relationship between Funding Source and Conclusion among Nutrition-Related Scientific Articles”, PloS Medicine 4, no. 1 (2007): 4146, at 44.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
See Malik, V. S. et al., “Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Weight Gain in Children and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis”, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 98, no. 4 (2013): 10841102.Google ScholarPubMed
Id., at 1099.Google Scholar
Id., at 1095.Google Scholar
Han, E. Powell, L. M., “Consumption Patterns of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in the United States”, Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics 113, no. 1 (2013): 4353, at 51.Google ScholarPubMed
Department of Nutrition, Fact Sheet: Sugary Drink Supersizing and the Obesity Epidemic, Harvard School of Public Health (June 2012), at 1, available at <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/files/2012/10/sugary-drinks-and-obesity-fact-sheet-june-2012-the-nutrition-source.pdf> (last visited February 13, 2014).+(last+visited+February+13,+2014).>Google Scholar
Bremer, A. A. Lustig, R. H., “Effects of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages on Children”, Pediatric Annals 41, no. 1 (January 2012): 2630, at 27, available at <http://www.healio.com/∼/media/Journals/PedAnn/2012/1_January/10_3928_00904481_20111209_09/10_3928_00904481_20111209_09.pdf> (last visited February 13, 2014).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
See Han, Powell, , supra note 35, at 43.Google Scholar
See Bremer, Lustig, , supra note 37, at 26.Google Scholar
Kavey, R. E., “How Sweet It Is: Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption, Obesity, and Cardiovascular Risk in Childhood”, Journal of the American Dietetic Association 110, no. 10 (2010): 14561460, at 1457.Google ScholarPubMed
Reedy, J. et al., “Dietary Sources of Energy, Solid Fats, and Added Sugars among Children and Adolescents in the United States”, Journal of the American Dietetic Association 110, no. 10 (2010): 14771484, at 1477.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
See Kavey, , supra note 40, at 1458.Google Scholar
CDC, Basics About Childhood Obesity, April 27, 2013, available at <http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/basics.html> (last visited February 13, 2014).+(last+visited+February+13,+2014).>Google Scholar
Id. See also Committee on Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention, Glickman, D. et al., eds., Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation (2012): at 2.Google Scholar
Wang, Y. C. et al., “Increasing Caloric Contribution from Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and 100 Fruit Juices among US Children and Adolescents, 1988–2004”, Pediatrics 121, no. 6 (2008): e160414, e1605.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
See Reedy, et al., supra note 41.Google Scholar
See Kavey, , supra note 40, at 1456.Google Scholar
Ebbeling, C. B. et al., “Effects of Decreasing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption on Body Weight in Adolescents: A Randomized, Controlled Pilot Study”, Pediatrics 117, no. 3 (2006): 673680, at 677.Google ScholarPubMed
Mathias, K. C. et al., “Foods and Beverages Associated with Higher Intake of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages”, American Journal of Preventive Medicine 44, no. 4 (2013): 351357, at 356.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
42 U.S.C.S. § 2000a (2013).Google Scholar
Fong, G. T. et al., “Reductions in Tobacco Smoke Pollution and Increases in Support for Smoke-free Public Places Following the Implementation of Comprehensive Smoke-Free Workplace Legislation in the Republic of Ireland: Findings from the ITC Ireland/UK Survey”, Tobacco Control 15, Supp. III (2005): iii51iii58, at iii51; Hellmich, N., Study: As Cost of Sugary Drinks Go Up, Sales Go Down, USA Today, November 14, 2013, available at <http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/14/sugar-drinks-cost/3497191/> (last visited February 13, 2014).Google Scholar
Powers, A. R. et al., “Effects of a Nutrition Education Program on the Dietary Behavior and Nutrition Knowledge of Second-Grade and Third-Grade Students”, Journal of School Health 75, no. 4 (2005): 129133, at 131.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gostin, L. O., “Bloombergs Health Legacy: Urban Innovator or Meddling Nanny?”, Hastings Center Report 43, no. 5 (2013): 1925, at 19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed