SB 1000 (Monning) is the proposed state law that would put a safety warning label on sodas and other sugary beverages sold in California. This bill would support the health of all Californians, by helping consumers identify risks and make informed decisions about what they purchase. You can support this effort by making a quick call to the Appropriations Committee, who will be deciding to move the bill forward – or to kill it – this week.
Sodas and sugary drinks have been proven to contribute to obesity and diabetes. The rates of these diseases are sky-rocketing, at huge cost to our health care system, and with devastating impact on the families and communities that bear the highest burden. “Unless these twin epidemics are reversed, one in three children born after 2000 – and nearly half of Latino and African-American children – will develop type 2 diabetes in their lifetime,” said Darcel Lee, president and CEO of the California Black Health Network, one of the co-sponsors of SB 1000. For more information from the SB 1000 campaign, click here.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are preventable diseases. Warning labels are a common-sense, proven strategy to inform consumers about health risks. They also have the support of voters: according to a recent Field Poll, 74 percent of California voters, including a majority of Republicans and Independents, support warning labels on sugary drinks. SB 1000 passed the Senate Health Committee earlier this month, but this week will come before the Appropriations Committee, before it gets to a vote by the full State Senate. Call the Appropriations Committee today, to voice your support for this bill!
This effort would bolster other proposed solutions to protect our health, including two local campaigns in Berkeley and San Francisco to place a tax on sugary beverage distributors. Berkeley’s Healthy Child Initiative is gaining momentum, getting more sign-ons and volunteers each week. The more awareness, information and tools we have that address the link between sugary drinks and our health, the better! Let’s prevent these diseases. Help move SB 1000 forward, make a quick call today!
