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D.C. Pols Talk Possible Beverage Ban
By Elissa Elan, National Restaurant Association Blog
October 24, 2012
A few local lawmakers in Washington, D.C., say a ban on large-sized sugary beverages, similar to the one passed last month in New York City, is a sweet idea for the nation's capital.
Council members Michael Brown and Vincent Orange recently discussed the idea of a ban during a debate between candidates campaigning for office in the District of Columbia. In addition to Brown and Orange, Councilwoman Mary Cheh, who in 2010 pushed for a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages but fell one vote short, said she, too, would support a ban on sugar-sweetened beverages in restaurants.
Council chairman Phil Mendelson and Mayor Vincent Gray both said the idea was worthy of consideration, but did not take a position on it.
The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, however, said it is still too early to tell if the council will formally propose a beverage ban and how it would affect foodservice operators in the district.
