Should The Government Limit The Size Of Sugary Drinks?
Opinion Editorial by Alex Eaton
In 2013, New York legislatures proposed a bill to limit the size of soda and other sugary drinks. Ever since news broke out about this bill, the internet has been divided between yes and no. I have thought about this and have come to the conclusion that no, this is not a good idea.
While researching this topic, I think I have found the reason for this ban. Here in America, we have staggeringly high obesity and diabetes rates, and legislatures are trying to change that, starting with this ban. I see the logic behind this: the less soda you can buy in a single cup will change how much soda people will drink, but that is just it--it will not! For example, what is stopping the customer from getting two small sizes to make up for not having the option of a large? To put it simply, this fix is not the answer. I would suggest a better solution to this problem, but I honestly cannot seem to think of something that is not necessarily the same or similar to this limit.
Why should the government decide how much soda we can buy anyway? I believe in a strong government but controlling how much soda you can drink is a little over the top. If we see this bill get passed, we will all start seeing the effects of it over time, and they will not be good. People will begin to see the government as an all-controlling parent that restricts freedom and takes away opportunity because they think they know what is best for us. We will see how powerful this ban makes bureaucrats feel, and they will eventually start passing more laws like this. America will not be seen as “The Land of the Free” but as “The Land of Never Ending Restrictions.” This is obviously a dramatization, but this is what I feel will happen if we do not open our eyes and see that the government cannot just do whatever it wants. Let us do what we can to keep this country free.
This has been Alex Eaton of the Summit Academy Independence Journalism Staff.
Opinion Editorial by Alex Eaton
In 2013, New York legislatures proposed a bill to limit the size of soda and other sugary drinks. Ever since news broke out about this bill, the internet has been divided between yes and no. I have thought about this and have come to the conclusion that no, this is not a good idea.
While researching this topic, I think I have found the reason for this ban. Here in America, we have staggeringly high obesity and diabetes rates, and legislatures are trying to change that, starting with this ban. I see the logic behind this: the less soda you can buy in a single cup will change how much soda people will drink, but that is just it--it will not! For example, what is stopping the customer from getting two small sizes to make up for not having the option of a large? To put it simply, this fix is not the answer. I would suggest a better solution to this problem, but I honestly cannot seem to think of something that is not necessarily the same or similar to this limit.
Why should the government decide how much soda we can buy anyway? I believe in a strong government but controlling how much soda you can drink is a little over the top. If we see this bill get passed, we will all start seeing the effects of it over time, and they will not be good. People will begin to see the government as an all-controlling parent that restricts freedom and takes away opportunity because they think they know what is best for us. We will see how powerful this ban makes bureaucrats feel, and they will eventually start passing more laws like this. America will not be seen as “The Land of the Free” but as “The Land of Never Ending Restrictions.” This is obviously a dramatization, but this is what I feel will happen if we do not open our eyes and see that the government cannot just do whatever it wants. Let us do what we can to keep this country free.
This has been Alex Eaton of the Summit Academy Independence Journalism Staff.