Beverage Suppression Day in the "Dehydrated Apple"

Reader Bobby writes:

"... tomorrow is Beverage Suppression Day in NYC. No more large, sweet beverages in the Big Apple. Is Big Apple even an appropriate nickname anymore? Apples have sugar. Shouldn’t the government be promoting medium- or small apples?"

I've taken your "Big Apple" question to heart, Bobby. Perhaps now, given the reduced size of beverages in NYC, we should call it, "The Dehydrated Apple"?



Update: A state court judge has halted Drinkmageddon for at least the time being. Based on his reasoning, I would expect the judge's ban not to be overturned. The law was too arbitrary in who was and was not exempted from the law and which sugary drinks were and were not exempted.

In halting the rules, Judge Tingling noted that the incoming sugary drink regime was "fraught with arbitrary and capricious consequences" that would be difficult to enforce with consistency "even within a particular city block, much less the city as a whole."

"The loopholes in this rule effectively defeat the stated purpose of the rule," the judge wrote.

Under a first-of-its-kind prohibition approved by the city Board of Health last year, establishments from restaurants to mobile food carts would have been prohibited from selling sugary drinks larger than 16 oz. After a three-month grace period, the city would have started fining violators $200 per sale.

The city rules, set to take effect on March 12, didn't include convenience stores, such as 7-Elevens, and supermarkets, both of which are regulated by the state government.

Again, a hat tip to Bobby for keeping us on the cutting edge here.