60 Percent Of New Yorkers Against Soda Ban, According To Poll
We could have guessed the answer to that one: According to a new The New York Times poll, a majority of New Yorkers — 60 percent of them — don't agree with Mayor Bloomberg's proposed large soda ban.
Only 36 percent of residents said they thought the ban was a good idea, according to The New York Times. Those in support of the ban seemed to agree with Mayor Bloomberg's stance against obesity, and sugars being the cause of it. Those against it believed the ban was an act against residents' civil liberties.
The poll also tracked which boroughs were more likely to oppose the ban, as well as soda consumption in the boroughs. Those in Queens and Brooklyn were more opposed to the plan than Manhattan residents. Also, the poll found that seven out of 10 black New Yorkers and 6 out of 10 Hispanic New Yorkers regulary drank soda. Those numbers of soda consumption closely matched obesity rates of New Yorkers; the stats show that blacks, Hispanics, and Bronx residents tend to be more overweight than whites and Manhattanites.
The ban is largely believed to be passed on Sept.13. No matter the public opinion, most agree that the ban will change how New Yorkers drink. Said one resident to the NYT, "Just having to commit to the act of ordering two [drinks] makes you more aware that you're committing it."