US judge shoots down large soda ban

A US judge has blocked the hugely disputed ban on the sales of large sugary drinks proposed by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg after the American Beverage Association sued the city.

The draft law was shot down a day before it was due to take effect forbidding the sale of drinks larger than 16 ounces in all eateries and other food-serving places, from pizzerias to sports stadia and cinemas, although it wouldn’t concern supermarkets or stores.

“The court ruling provides a sigh of relief to New Yorkers and thousands of small businesses in New York City that would have been harmed by this arbitrary and unpopular ban,” the drinks industry group said.

Mayor Bloomberg responded to the judge’s ruling, saying he was “totally in error in the way he interpreted the law,” and vowed to appeal.

Mr. Bloomberg said the ban would have helped reduce obesity in the US. “People are dying every day. This is not a joke. Five thousand people die of obesity every day in America,” he stressed, BBC reports.