Baltimore law barring soda from kids’ meals takes effect (The Daily Record)

Wednesday Jul 18th, 2018

A Baltimore law took effect Wednesday requiring restaurants to include non-sugary drinks as the default option in kids’ meals.

Baltimore is now the largest American city and the first on the East Coast to implement such a measure, which is aimed at improving city children’s health.

Dr. Leana Wen, the city’s health commissioner, said the law should improve health outcomes for kids.

“The science is clear: one of the biggest contributors to childhood obesity is sugary drinks, and childhood obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, and early death,” she said in a statement. “Taking out empty calories from sugary drinks is a powerful lifestyle change we can make to help our children to get and stay healthy.

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