NEW YORK -- Telling New Yorkers how big their sodas should be is like telling them where to live or what team to root for, a one-minute radio spot sponsored by the American Beverage Association charges.
The radio ad urges New Yorkers to oppose Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed ban on the sale of sweetened drinks in cups or containers larger than 16 ounces.
It features voice-overs that sound like New Yorkers--all slightly incredulous--describing the ban as an affront to residents' freedom of choice, reported The Wall Street Journal.
"Once again he's telling us what we can and can't have," says a male voice. "I make the decisions for me and my family, thank you very much," adds a female voice (click here to hear the ad).
The ad is part of a push by New Yorkers for Beverage Choices, representing about 300 businesses that believe "consumers have the right to purchase beverages in whatever size they choose."
The group has also released a video ad (embedded below).
The ban, which would apply to drinks with 25 calories or more per eight ounces, has been controversial since Bloomberg proposed it at the end of May (click here for previous CSP Daily News coverage).
Critics say it's confusing and possibly ineffective since the beverages are banned from restaurants, movie theaters and arenas but not supermarkets, convenience stores and grocery stores.
A public comment period on the proposed ban was passed by the Board of Health in mid-June, with public hearings scheduled for July 24. The board, comprised of Bloomberg appointees, will vote on the proposal in September.
Eliot Hof, a spokesperson for the coalition, would not disclose for the newspaper the campaign's budget, saying only that it was spearheaded by the American Beverage Association, with some in-kind donations from participating businesses. The coalition will put out advertisements over the next few weeks and has encouraged New Yorkers to sign petitions and submit comments to the Board of Health.
"We're looking at every opportunity to get the message out," Hoff told the Journal. "This impacts every New Yorker in all five boroughs."
The mayor, who stamped out smoking in bars and restaurants a decade ago, is targeting the drinks in an effort to tackle obesity and the surge in cases of diabetes, said the report.
The coalition, though, does not believe the ban will have an impact on obesity rates in the city, as residents continue to "indulge in other high calorie foods."
"Sodas, juice drinks, sports drinks and teas account for only 7% of calories in the average American diet," according to the group's website.
If the ban is passed, it would go into effect in March 2013, just months before Bloomberg will leave office, said the report, raising questions about the law's durability under his successor.
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