NY Soda ProhibitionFollow

Realistically, tobacco isn't taxed because it affects the environment or health quality of anyone, it's taxed because people will buy tobacco regardless so it's an easy revenue creator. If the government* was deeply concerned with your health issues from smoking or being near smoke, they'd make tobacco illegal.

How about just slapping a $3 tax on soft drinks over 20 oz or whatever the limit is.

*In a general sense. I don't doubt that it's frustrating to work in the FDA or NIH when it comes to tobacco

Hi, you must be new here.

Is this your other account. I wasn't arguing with you was I?

My argument was that it's a trivial law.

Brownduck claims that it's setting precedent for the government to be able to limit personal choice.

I countered that this isn't setting a precedent because the government has limited choice previously (the precedent has already been set).

You call my argument stupid.

I agree it's a stupid argument.

Did you know that Texas limits the size of beer containers?

Did you know that Maine limits the size of lobsters you can eat?

Did you know that there is a county in California that doesn't allow stuffed animals with boobies?


Edited, Sep 14th 2012 5:19pm by Elinda

But still, as a people we want to know that we have the freedoms to have our chocolates in super large individual server size containers. It's important.

Can you imagine the hardship it would cause if we had to get two 2-oz servings of chocolate (not to mention the environmental degradation that would follow)?

Yes. I have two accounts that have over 20k posts each. I'm secretly biding my time until my third account gets over 20k so I can combine their post counts and usurp Joph.


Welcome to the internet and forums in general, where anyone can respond to you and call you out on your stupidity.


Enjoy the future you're defending. I know you can't wait until the salt ban.

Edited, Sep 14th 2012 11:36am by Deadgye

It's not an overreach, it's just a law. There's a public health issue: to wit obesity. Many, many studies show soda consumption correlates strongly with obesity. A law is passed intending to limit soda consumption, specifically, soda consumption in a situation where the drinker really isn't as aware of how much they are consuming. If you think this law is stupid, that's fine. That doesn't make it overreaching. I too, find it stupid, this is a separate argument. Overreaching implies that government should be able to pass no laws with the intent of improving public health. If this law overreach then laws against selling cigarettes to minors overreach. Seat belt laws overreach. Limiting Sudafed sales overreaches. You get the idea, all the way down the slippery slope to "Why do you want to give heroin to infants?" You can't buy 2500mg Ibuprofen in single pills over the counter, either. Why is there a maximum OTC dosage? Because people will invariably take more if each dose is larger. The same applies here. Is that bad law? Should I be able to buy any dosage of any OTC medication I want? I mean I can just take 10, right?

Sugar in whatever form is not inherently dangerous. Over consumption is

Right, just like OTC drugs?

One of these has a more immediate and definite negative result. Yes?



Right, right. Something about the whole empty calories creating more hunger, etc. Overconsumption of sugar free drinks alone does not cause obesity though. Perhaps they should legislate that anyone drinking soda with a meal may have no more than 8oz of food with their meal and must wait at least 6 hours before ingesting anything else?

One of these has a more immediate and definite negative result. Yes?

Context dependent, but arguably, no. Crystal Meth made from cold medicine is probably worse for society than fat people, liver damage (or stomach or whatever) from overuse of painkillers probably isn't. Being obese is pretty shockingly bad for you, to the point that there have been some interesting papers about if it's actually preferable for smokers to continue smoking for the appetite suppression effects. I read eery paper that says maybe I should keep smoking.


Right, right. Something about the whole empty calories creating more hunger, etc. Overconsumption of sugar free drinks alone does not cause obesity though. Perhaps they should legislate that anyone drinking soda with a meal may have no more than 8oz of food with their meal and must wait at least 6 hours before ingesting anything else?

Cumbersome to enforce.

What I want to know is, what the hell Kelvy's been smoking.

I haven't kept up, but Nexa informs me that it's the sweet sweet love of Christ, his lord and savior. Genuinely, it seems.

I'm usually against these types of laws, but now I've become kind of "meh" about it. We've all shown that we don't know how to act, so government has to step in sometimes and do it for us. Yes, freedom, personal responsibility, liberty, blah, blah, all that too. But Smash said what I was thinking. If they could tell me I can't smoke in a restaurant anymore and I have to wear a seat belt, then they can tell the rabid soda drinkers out there that they need to slow it down.

How, by making you get up and get/ask for a refill a little sooner? You're getting a smaller cup, and you're not going to lose all your intake progress by getting up twice instead of once. The only real place this is going to affect anyone is in theaters.