Hawaii Considers SSB Ban

The Hawaii Senate has introduced legislation (S.B. 2693) that would prohibit
the sale of regular soft drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in
containers larger than 16 ounces.

Noting that obesity is an increasingly “common and costly problem for
the state,” and claiming that limiting the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages
would “encourage healthier diets in the community, while offsetting
economic costs associated with health care and obesity,” the bill specifically
seeks to ban food establishments from (i) selling, offering for sale or providing
SSBs in unsealed containers larger than 16 ounces and (ii) selling children’s
meals that include such beverages.

Issue 511