FILE - In this May 31, 2012 file photo, a man leaves a 7-Eleven store with a Double Gulp drink, in New York. Opponents of the city’s limit on the size of sugary drinks are are raising questions of racial fairness alongside other complaints as the novel restriction faces a court test. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
January 22, 2013 - 11:51 PM
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Opponents of New York City's limit on the size of sugary drinks are raising questions of racial fairness alongside other complaints as the novel restriction faces a court test.
The NAACP's New York state branch and the Hispanic Federation have joined beverage makers and sellers in trying to stop the rule from taking effect March 12. A hearing is set Wednesday.
Critics call the regulation inconsistent and undemocratic. The minority advocacy groups say the soda rule will unduly harm minority businesses and "freedom of choice in low-income communities."
City officials and health experts say it's a pioneering and proper move to fight obesity.
The city Board of Health approved the measure in September. It bars restaurants and many other eateries from selling high-sugar drinks in containers bigger than 16 ounces.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013