A soft drink (also called soda, pop, coke,[1] soda pop, fzzy drink, seltzer, mineral,

[2]lolly water[3] or carbonated beverage) is a beverage that typically contains carbonated

water, a sweetener and a favoring. The sweetener ay be s!gar, high"#r!ctose corn syr!p,
#r!it $!ice, s!gar s!bstit!tes (in the case o# diet drin%s) or soe cobination o# these. &o#t
drin%s ay also contain ca'eine, colorings, preservatives and other ingredients.
&o#t drin%s are called (so#t( in contrast to (hard drin%s( (alcoholic beverages). &all ao!nts
o# alcohol ay be present in a so#t drin%, b!t the alcohol content !st be less than ).*+ o#
the total vol!e[,][*] i# the drin% is to be considered non"alcoholic.[-] .r!it $!ice, tea and other
s!ch non"alcoholic beverages are technically so#t drin%s by this de/nition b!t are not
generally re#erred to as s!ch.
&o#t drin%s ay be served chilled or at roo teperat!re, and soe, s!ch as 0r 1epper, can
be served war.[2]
Contents
[hide]
1 3istory
1.1 4arbonated drin%s
1.2 &oda #o!ntain pioneers
1.3 &oda #o!ntains vs. bottled sodas
1., &o#t drin% bottling ind!stry
1.,.1 A!toatic prod!ction o# glass bottles
1.,.2 3oe"1a%s and vending achines
2 1rod!ction
2.1 &o#t drin% prod!ction
2.2 5ngredient 6!ality
2.2.1 1otential alcohol content
3 1rod!cers
, 3ealth concerns
,.1 7besity and weight"related diseases
,.2 0ental decay
,.3 3ypo%aleia
,., &o#t drin%s related to bone density and bone loss
,.* &!gar content
,.- 8en9ene
,.2 1esticides in 5ndia
,.: ;idney stones
* <overnent reg!lation
*.1 &chools
*.2 Ta=ation
*.3 8ans
- &ee also
2 >e#erences
: ?=ternal lin%s
History
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding
citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (June 2008)The /rst
ar%eted so#t drin%s in the @estern world appeared in the 12th cent!ry. They were ade o#
water and leon $!ice sweetened with honey. 5n 1-2-, the Compagnie des Limonadiers o#
1aris was granted a onopoly #or the sale o# leonade so#t drin%s. Aendors carried tan%s o#
leonade on their bac%s and dispensed c!ps o# the so#t drin% to thirsty 1arisians.[:]
Carbonated drinks

&o#t drin%s displayed on grocery store shelves.
5n the late 1:th cent!ry, scientists ade iportant progress in replicating nat!rally
carbonated ineral waters. 5n 12-2, ?nglishan Boseph 1riestley /rst discovered a ethod o#
in#!sing water with carbon dio=ide to a%e carbonated water[C] when he s!spended a bowl o#
distilled water above a beer vat at a local brewery in Deeds, ?ngland. 3is invention o#
carbonated water (also %nown as soda water) is the a$or and de/ning coponent o# ost
so#t drin%s.[1)]
1riestley #o!nd that water treated in this anner had a pleasant taste, and he o'ered it to
#riends as a re#reshing drin%. 5n 1222, 1riestley p!blished a paper entitled Impregnating
Water with Fixed Air in which he describes dripping oil of vitriol (or s!l#!ric acid as it is now
called) onto chal% to prod!ce carbon dio=ide gas, and enco!raging the gas to dissolve into an
agitated bowl o# water.[1)]
Another ?nglishan, Bohn Eervin Footh, iproved 1riestleyGs design and sold his apparat!s
#or coercial !se in pharacies. &wedish cheist Torbern 8ergan invented a generating
apparat!s that ade carbonated water #ro chal% by the !se o# s!l#!ric acid. 8erganGs
apparat!s allowed iitation ineral water to be prod!ced in large ao!nts. &wedish
cheist BHns Bacob 8er9eli!s started to add favors (spices, $!ices, and wine) to carbonated
water in the late eighteenth cent!ry.
Soda fountain pioneers
Main article: Soda fountain
Arti/cial ineral waters, !s!ally called (soda water(, and the soda #o!ntain were ostly
pop!lar in the Inited &tates.[citation needed] 8eginning in 1:)-, Jale Iniversity cheistry
pro#essor 8en$ain &illian sold soda waters in Few 3aven, 4onnectic!t. 3e !sed a Footh
apparat!s to prod!ce his waters. 8!sinessen in 1hiladelphia and Few Jor% 4ity also began
selling soda water in the early 1Cth cent!ry. 5n the 1:3)s, Bohn Eatthews o# Few Jor% 4ity and
Bohn Dippincott o# 1hiladelphia began an!#act!ring soda #o!ntains. 8oth en were
s!ccess#!l and b!ilt large #actories #or #abricating #o!ntains.
Soda fountains vs. bottled sodas
5n 1Cth cent!ry Aerica, the drin%ing o# either nat!ral or arti/cial ineral water was
considered a healthy practice and prooted by advocates o# teperance. The Aerican
pharacists selling ineral waters began to add herbs and cheicals to !nfavored ineral
water. They !sed birch bar% (see birch beer), dandelion, sarsaparilla, #r!it e=tracts, and other
s!bstances. .lavorings were also added to iprove the taste. 1haracies with soda #o!ntains
becae a pop!lar part o# Aerican c!lt!re. Eany Aericans #re6!ented the soda #o!ntain on
a daily basis. 0!e to probles in the I.&. glass ind!stry, bottled drin%s were a sall portion
o# the ar%et in the 1Cth cent!ry. (3owever, they were %nown in ?ngland. 5n The Tenant of
Wildfell all, p!blished in 1:,:, the caddish 3!ntingdon, recovering #ro onths o#
deba!chery, wa%es at noon and g!lps a bottle o# soda"water.[11]) 5n Aerica, ost so#t drin%s
were dispensed and cons!ed at a soda #o!ntain, !s!ally in a dr!gstore or ice crea parlor.
5n the early 2)th cent!ry, sales o# bottled soda increased e=ponentially. 5n the second hal# o#
the 2)th cent!ry, canned so#t drin%s becae an iportant share o# the ar%et.
Soft drink bottling industry
7ver 1,*)) I.&. patents were /led #or either a cor%, cap, or lid #or the carbonated drin% bottle
tops d!ring the early days o# the bottling ind!stry. 4arbonated drin% bottles are !nder great
press!re #ro the gas. 5nventors were trying to /nd the best way to prevent the carbon
dio=ide or b!bbles #ro escaping. 5n 1:C2, the (4rown 4or% 8ottle &eal( was patented
by @illia 1ainter, a 8altiore, Earyland achine shop operator. 5t was the /rst very
s!ccess#!l ethod o# %eeping the b!bbles in the bottle.
Automatic production of glass bottles
5n 1:CC, the /rst patent was iss!ed #or a glass"blowing achine #or the a!toatic prod!ction
o# glass bottles. ?arlier glass bottles had all been hand"blown. .o!r years later, the new
bottle"blowing achine was in operation. 5t was /rst operated by the inventor, Eichael
7wens, an eployee o# Dibby <lass 4opany. @ithin a #ew years, glass bottle prod!ction
increased #ro 1,,)) bottles a day to abo!t *:,))) bottles a day.
Home-Paks and vending macines
0!ring the 1C2)s, (3oe"1a%s( were invented. (3oe"1a%s( are the #ailiar si="pac%
cartons ade #ro cardboard. Aending achines also began to appear in the 1C2)s. &ince
then, so#t drin% vending achines have becoe increasingly pop!lar. 8oth hot and cold
drin%s are sold in these sel#"service achines thro!gho!t the world.
Production
Soft drink production
&o#t drin%s are ade by i=ing dry ingredients andKor #resh ingredients (#or e=aple, leons,
oranges, etc.) with water. 1rod!ction o# so#t drin%s can be done at #actories or at hoe.
&o#t drin%s can be ade at hoe by i=ing either a syr!p or dry ingredients with carbonated
water. 4arbonated water is ade !sing a soda siphon or a hoe carbonation syste or by
dropping dry ice into water. &yr!ps are coercially sold by copanies s!ch as &oda"4l!bL
dry ingredients are o#ten sold in po!ches, in the style o# the pop!lar I.&. drin% i= ;ool"Aid.
0rin%s li%e ginger ale and root beer are o#ten brewed !sing yeast to ca!se carbonation.
!ngredient "uality
7# ost iportance is that the ingredient eets the agreed speci/cation on all a$or
paraeters. This is not only the #!nctional paraeter (in other words, the level o# the a$or
constit!ent), b!t the level o# ip!rities, the icrobiological stat!s, and physical paraeters
s!ch as color, particle si9e, etc.[12]
Potential alcool content
A report in 7ctober 2))- deonstrated that soe so#t drin%s contain eas!rable ao!nts o#
alcohol. 5n soe older preparations, this res!lted #ro nat!ral #erentation !sed to b!ild the
carbonation. 5n the Inited &tates, so#t drin%s (as well as other beverages s!ch as non"
alcoholic beer) are allowed by law to contain !p to ).*+ alcohol by vol!e. Eodern drin%s
introd!ce carbon dio=ide #or carbonation, b!t there is soe spec!lation that alcohol ight
res!lt #ro #erentation o# s!gars in an !nsterile environent. A sall ao!nt o# alcohol is
introd!ced in soe so#t drin%s where alcohol is !sed in the preparation o# the favoring
e=tracts s!ch as vanilla e=tract.[13]
Producers
Further information: List of soft drin! producers
Health concerns
The cons!ption o# s!gar"sweetened so#t drin%s is associated with obesity,[1,][1*][1-] type 2
diabetes,[12][1:] dental caries, andlow n!trient levels.[1*] ?=periental st!dies tend to
s!pport a ca!sal role #or s!gar"sweetened so#t drin%s in these ailents,[1,][1*]tho!gh this is
challenged by other researchers.[1C][2)] (&!gar"sweetened( incl!des drin%s that !se high"
#r!ctose corn syr!p, as well as those !sing s!crose.
Eany so#t drin%s contain ingredients that are theselves so!rces o# concernM ca'eine is
lin%ed to an=iety and sleep disr!ption when cons!ed in e=cess,[21] and soe critics
6!estion the health e'ects o# added s!gars and arti/cial sweeteners.[22] &odi!
ben9oate has been investigated by researchers at Iniversity o# &heNeld[23] as a possible
ca!se o# 0FA daage andhyperactivity. 7ther s!bstances have negative health e'ects, b!t
are present in s!ch sall 6!antities that they are !nli%ely to pose any s!bstantial health ris%
provided that the beverages are cons!ed only in oderation.
5n 1CC:, the 4enter #or &cience in the 1!blic 5nterest p!blished a report titled Li"uid Cand#:
ow Soft $rin!s are arming Americans% ealth. The report e=ained statistics relating to
the increase in so#t drin% cons!ption and claied that cons!ption is (li%ely contrib!ting to
health probles.( 5t also critici9ed ar%eting e'orts by so#t drin% copanies.[2,]
#besity and weigt-related diseases
.ro 1C22 to 2))2, Aericans do!bled their cons!ption o# sweetened beverages[2*]Oa
trend that was paralleled by do!bling the prevalence o# obesity.[2-] The cons!ption o#
s!gar"sweetened beverages is associated with weight and obesity, and changes in
cons!ption can help predict changes in weight.[1,][1*] 7ne st!dy #ollowed *,:
schoolchildren over 1C onths and #o!nd that changes in so#t drin% cons!ption were
associated with changes in body ass inde= (8E5).[22] ?ach so#t drin% that a child added to
his or her daily cons!ption was accopanied by an increase in 8E5 o# ).2, %gK2. &iilarly,
an :"year st!dy o# *),))) #eale n!rses copared woen who went #ro drin%ing alost no
so#t drin%s to drin%ing ore than one a day to woen who went #ro drin%ing ore than one
so#t drin% a day to drin%ing alost no so#t drin%s.[1:] The woen who increased their
cons!ption o# so#t drin%s gained :.) %g over the co!rse o# the st!dy while the woen who
decreased their cons!ption gained only 2.: %g. 5n each o# these st!dies, the absol!te
n!ber o# so#t drin%s cons!ed per day was also positively associated with weight gain.
5t reains possible that the correlation is d!e to a third #actorM people who lead !nhealthy
li#estyles ight cons!e ore so#t drin%s. 5# so, then the association between so#t drin%
cons!ption and weight gain co!ld refect the conse6!ences o# an !nhealthy li#estyle rather
than the conse6!ences o# cons!ing so#t drin%s. ?=periental evidence is needed to
de/nitively establish the ca!sal role o# so#t drin% cons!ption. >eviews o# the e=periental
evidence s!ggest that so#t drin% cons!ption does ca!se weight gain,[1,][1*] b!t the e'ect is
o#ten sall e=cept #or overweight individ!als.[1C]
Eany o# these e=perients e=ained the inf!ence o# s!gar"sweetened so#t drin%s on weight
gain in children and adolescents. 5n one e=perient, adolescents replaced s!gar"sweetened
so#t drin%s in their diet with arti/cially sweetened so#t drin%s that were sent to their hoes
over 2* wee%s.[2:] 4opared with children in a control gro!p, children who received the
arti/cially sweetened drin%s saw a saller increase in their 8E5 (by P.1, %gK2), b!t this
e'ect was only statistically signi/cant aong the heaviest children (who saw a bene/t
o# P.2* %gK2). 5n another st!dy, an ed!cational progra enco!raged schoolchildren to
cons!e #ewer so#t drin%s.[2C] 0!ring the school year, the prevalence o# obesity decreased
aong children in the progra by ).2+, copared to a 2.*+ increase aong children in the
control gro!p. Another st!dy, p!blished in 1ediatrics in 2)13, concl!ded that #or children #ro
the age o# 2 to *, their ris% o# obesity increased by ,3+ i# they were reg!lar so#t drin%
cons!ers as opposed to those who rarely or never cons!ed the.[3)]
&!gar"sweetened drin%s have also been spec!lated[31] to ca!se weight gain in ad!lts. 5n one
st!dy, overweight individ!als cons!ed a daily s!ppleent o# s!crose"sweetened or
arti/cially sweetened drin%s or #oods #or a 1) wee% period.[32] Eost o# the s!ppleent was in
the #or o# so#t drin%s. 5ndivid!als in the s!crose gro!p gained 1.- %g, and individ!als in the
arti/cial"sweetener gro!p lost 1.) %g. A two wee% st!dy had participants s!ppleent their
diet with s!gar"sweetened so#t drin%s, arti/cially sweetened so#t drin%s, or neither.
[33] Altho!gh the participants gained the ost weight when cons!ing the s!gar"sweetened
drin%s, soe o# the di'erences were !nreliableM the di'erences between en who cons!ed
s!gar"sweetened drin%s or no drin%s was not statistically signi/cant.
7ther research s!ggests that so#t drin%s co!ld play a special role in weight gain. 7ne #o!r"
wee% e=perient copared a ,*) calorieKday s!ppleent o# s!gar"sweetened so#t drin%s to a
,*) calorieKday s!ppleent o# $elly beans.[3,] The $elly bean s!ppleent did not lead to
weight gain, b!t the so#t drin% s!ppleent did. The li%ely reason #or the di'erence in weight
gain is that people who cons!ed the $elly beans lowered their caloric inta%e at s!bse6!ent
eals, while people who cons!ed so#t drin%s did not. Th!s, the low levels o# satiety
provided by s!gar"sweetened so#t drin%s ay e=plain their association with obesity. That is,
people who cons!e calories in s!gar"sweetened beverages ay #ail to ade6!ately red!ce
their inta%e o# calories #ro other so!rces. 5ndeed, people cons!e ore total calories in
eals and on days when they are given s!gar"sweetened beverages than when they are
given arti/cially sweetened beverages[33][3*][3-] or water.[3-] 3owever, these res!lts are
contradicted by a st!dy by Ada 0rewnows%i p!blished in 2)),, in which (32 s!b$ects
cons!ed a 3))"calorie snac% o# #at"#ree raspberry coo%ies or reg!lar cola on two occasions
each Q either two ho!rs ((early() or 2) in!tes ((late() be#ore l!nch.( 5t #o!nd that (...the
calories eaten at l!nch were not a'ected by whether the snac% was coo%ies or cola.([32]
A st!dy by 1!rd!e Iniversity reported that no"calorie sweeteners were lin%ed to an increase
in body weight. The e=perient copared rats who were #ed saccharin"sweetened yog!rt
and gl!cose"sweetened yog!rt. The saccharin gro!p event!ally cons!ed ore calories,
gained ore weight and ore body #at, and did not copensate later by c!tting bac%.[3:]
The cons!ption o# s!gar"sweetened so#t drin%s can also be associated with any weight"
related diseases, incl!ding diabetes,[12] etabolic syndroe and cardiovasc!lar ris% #actors,
[3C] and elevated blood press!re.[32]
According to research presented at the Aerican 3eart AssociationGs ?pideiology and
1reventionKF!trition, 1hysical Activity and Eetabolis 2)13 &cienti/c &essions by researchers
at the 3arvard &chool o# 1!blic 3ealth, s!gar"sweetened beverages ay be responsible #or
1:),))) deaths every year worldwide.[,)]
$ental decay
Eost so#t drin%s contain high concentration o#
siple carbohydratesM gl!cose, #r!ctose, s!crose and other siple s!gars. 7ral bacteria
#erent carbohydrates and prod!ce acid, which dissolves tooth enael d!ring the dental
decay processL th!s, sweetened drin%s are li%ely to increase ris% o# dental caries. The ris% is
greater i# the #re6!ency o# cons!ption is high.[,1]
A large n!ber o# so#t drin%s are acidic, and soe ay have a p3 o# 3.) or even lower.
[,2] 0rin%ing acidic drin%s over a long period o# tie and contin!o!s sipping can
there#ore erode the tooth enael. 3owever, !nder noral conditions, scienti/c evidence
indicates 4oca"4olaGs acidity ca!ses no iediate har.[,3]
Ising a drin%ing straw is o#ten advised by dentists as the drin% does not coe into as !ch
contact with the teeth. 5t has also been s!ggested that br!shing teeth right a#ter drin%ing so#t
drin%s sho!ld be avoided as this can res!lt in additional erosion to the teeth d!e to the
presence o# acid.[,,][,*]
Hypokalemia
There have been a hand#!l o# p!blished reports describing individ!als with
severe hypo%aleia (low potassi! levels) related to chronic e=tree cons!ption (,"1)
DKday) o# colas.[,-]
Soft drinks related to bone density and bone loss
5n a eta"analysis o# :: st!dies, drin%ing soda correlates with a decrease
in il% cons!ption along with the vitain 0, vitain 8-, vitain 812, calci!, protein and
other icron!trients.[,2] 1hosphor!s, a icron!trient, can be #o!nd in cola"type beverages,
b!t there ay be a ris% in cons!ing too !ch.[,2] 1hosphor!s and calci! are !sed in the
body to create calci!"phosphate, which is the ain coponent o# bone. 3owever, the
cobination o# too !ch phosphor!s with too little calci! in the body can lead to a
degeneration o# bone ass.[,2] >esearch s!ggests a statistically signi/cant inverse
relationship between cons!ption o# carbonated beverages and bone ineral density in
yo!ng girls, which places the at increased ris% o# s!'ering #ract!res in the #!t!re.[,:]
7ne hypothesis to e=plain this relationship is that the phosphoric acid contained in soe so#t
drin%s (colas) displaces calci! #ro the bones, lowering bone density o# the s%eleton and
leading to wea%ened bones, or osteoporosis.[,C] 3owever, calci! etabolis st!dies by 0r.
>obert 3eaney s!ggested that the net e'ect o# carbonated so#t drin%s, (incl!ding colas,
which !se phosphoric acid as the acid!lent) on calci! e=cretion in !rine was negligible.
3eaney concl!ded that carbonated so#t drin%s, which do not contain the n!trients needed #or
bone health, ay displace other #oods which do, and that the real iss!e is that people who
drin% a lot o# so#t drin%s also tend to have an overall diet that is low in calci!.[,C] 5n the
1C*)s and 1C-)s there were attepts in .rance and Bapan to ban the sale o# 4oca"4ola as
dangero!s since phosphates can bloc% calci! absorption. 3owever, these were !ns!ccess#!l
as the ao!nts o# phosphate were shown to be too sall to have a signi/cant e'ect.[*)]
Sugar content
See also: $iet soda
The I&0AGs recoended daily inta%e (>05) o# added s!gars is less than 1) teaspoons per
day #or a 2,)))"calorie diet.[*1] 3igh caloric inta%e contrib!tes to obesity i# not balanced with
e=ercise, with a large ao!nt o# e=ercise being re6!ired to o'set even sall b!t calorie"rich
#ood and drin%s.
Intil 1C:*, ost o# the calories in so#t drin%s cae #ro s!gar or corn syr!p. As o# 2)1), in
the Inited &tates high"#r!ctose corn syr!p (3.4&) is !sed nearly e=cl!sively as a sweetener
beca!se o# its lower cost,[*2] while in ?!rope, s!crose doinates, beca!se ?I agric!lt!ral
policies #avor prod!ction o# s!gar beets in ?!rope proper and s!garcane in the #orer
colonies over the prod!ction o# corn. 3.4& has been critici9ed[*3] as having a n!ber o#
detriental e'ects on h!an health, s!ch as prooting diabetes, hyperactivity,
hypertension, and a host o# other probles.[*,] Altho!gh anecdotal evidence has been
presented to s!pport s!ch clais, it is well %nown that the h!an body brea%s s!crose down
into gl!cose and #r!ctose be#ore it is absorbed by the intestines. &iple s!gars s!ch as
#r!ctose are converted into the sae interediates as in gl!cose etabolis.[**]3owever,
etabolis o# #r!ctose is e=treely rapid and is initiated by #r!cto%inase. .r!cto%inase
activity is not reg!lated by etabolis or horones and proceeds rapidly a#ter inta%e o#
#r!ctose. @hile the interediates o# #r!ctose etabolis are siilar to those o# gl!cose, the
rates o# #oration are e=cessive. This #act prootes #atty acid and triglyceride synthesis in
the liver, leading to acc!!lation o# #at thro!gho!t the body and possibly non"alcoholic #atty
liver disease. 5ncreased blood lipid levels also see to #ollow #r!ctose ingestion over tie. A
s!gar drin% or high"s!gar drin% ay re#er to any beverage consisting priarily o#water and
s!gar (o#ten cane s!gar or high"#r!ctose corn syr!p), incl!ding soe so#t drin%s, soe #r!it
$!ices, and energy drin%s.
%enzene
Main article: &en'ene in soft drin!s
5n 2))-, the Inited ;ingdo .ood &tandards Agency p!blished the res!lts o# its s!rvey o#
ben9ene levels in so#t drin%s,[*-]which tested 1*) prod!cts and #o!nd that #o!r contained
ben9ene levels above the @orld 3ealth 7rgani9ation (@37) g!idelines #or drin%ing water.
The Inited &tates .ood and 0r!g Adinistration released its own test res!lts o# several so#t
drin%s containing ben9oates and ascorbic or erythorbic acid. .ive tested drin%s contained
ben9ene levels above the ?nvironental 1rotection AgencyGsrecoended standard o#
* ppb. The ?nvironental @or%ing <ro!p[*2] has !ncovered additional .0A test res!lts that
showed the #ollowing res!ltsM 7# 2, saples o# diet soda tested between 1CC* and 2))1 #or
the presence o# ben9ene, 1C (2C+) had ao!nts o# ben9ene in e=cess o# the #ederal tap
water standard o# * ppb. Average ben9ene levels were 1C ppb, abo!t #o!r ties tap water
standard. 7ne saple contained ** ppb o# ben9ene, 11 #old tap water standards. 0espite
these /ndings, as o# 2))-, the .0A stated its belie# that (the levels o# ben9ene #o!nd in so#t
drin%s and other beverages to date do not pose a sa#ety concern #or cons!ers(.[*:]
Pesticides in !ndia
5n 2))3, the 0elhi non"pro/t 4entre #or &cience and ?nvironent p!blished[*C][-)] a disp!ted
report /nding pesticide levels in 4o%e and 1epsi so#t drin%s sold in 5ndia at levels 3) ties
that considered sa#e by the ?!ropean ?conoic 4oission.[-1][-2]This was #o!nd in
priarily 12 cold drin% brands sold in and aro!nd Few 0elhi.[-3] The 5ndian 3ealth Einister
said the 4&? tests were inacc!rate, and said that the governentGs tests #o!nd pesticide
levels within 5ndiaGs standards b!t above ?I standards.[-,][-*]
A siilar 4&? report in A!g!st 2))- propted any state governents to have iss!ed a ban
o# the sale o# so#t drin%s in schools. ;erala iss!ed a coplete ban on the sale or an!#act!re
o# so#t drin%s altogether. (These were later str!c% down in co!rt.) 5n ret!rn, the so#t drin%
copanies li%e 4oca"4ola and 1epsi have iss!ed ads in the edia regarding the sa#ety o#
cons!ption o# the drin%s.[--]
The I;"based 4entral &cience Daboratory, coissioned by 4o%e, #o!nd its prod!cts et ?I
standards in 2))-.[-2] 4o%e and the Iniversity o# Eichigan coissioned an independent
st!dy o# its bottling plants by The ?nergy and >eso!rces 5nstit!te (T?>5), which reported in
2)): no !nsa#e cheicals in the water s!pply !sed.[-:]
&idney stones
A st!dy p!blished in the Clinical (ournal of the American Societ# of )ephrolog# in 2)13
concl!ded that cons!ption o# so#t drin%s was associated with a 23+ higher ris% o#
developing %idney stones.[-C]
Government regulation
Scools
5n recent years, debate on whether high"calorie so#t drin% vending achines sho!ld be
allowed in schools has been on the rise. 7pponents o# the (so#t drin%) vending achines
believe that so#t drin%s are a signi/cant contrib!tor to childhood obesity andtooth decay, and
that allowing so#t drin% sales in schools enco!rages children to believe they are sa#e to
cons!e in oderate to large 6!antities.[2)] 7pponents arg!e that schools have a
responsibility to loo% a#ter the health o# the children in their care, and that allowing children
easy access to so#t drin%s violates that responsibility.[21] Aending achine proponents believe
that obesity is a cople= iss!e and so#t drin%s are not the only ca!se.[22] They also note the
iense ao!nt o# #!nding that so#t drin% sales bring to schools. &oe people[who*] ta%e a
ore oderate stance, saying that so#t drin% achines sho!ld be allowed in schools, b!t that
they sho!ld not be the only option available. They propose that when so#t drin% vending
achines are ade available on school gro!nds, the schools sho!ld be re6!ired to provide
children with a choice o# alternative drin%s (s!ch as #r!it $!ice, favoredwater and il%) at a
coparable price. &oe lawa%ers debating the iss!e in di'erent states have arg!ed that
parentsOnot the governentOsho!ld be responsible #or childrenGs beverage choices.[23]
7n Eay 3, 2))-, the Alliance #or a 3ealthier <eneration, 4adb!ry &chweppes, The 4oca"4ola
4opany, 1epsi4o, and theAerican 8everage Association anno!nced new &chool 8everage
<!idelines that will vol!ntarily reove high"calorie so#t drin%s #ro all I.&. schools.
7n 1C Eay 2))-, the 8ritish ?d!cation &ecretary, Alan Bohnson, anno!nced new ini!
n!trition standards #or school #ood. Aongst a wide range o# eas!res, #ro &epteber
2))-, school l!nches will be #ree #ro carbonated drin%s. &chools will also end the sale o#
$!n% #ood (incl!ding carbonated drin%s) in vending achines and t!c% shops.
'a(ation
Main articles: Soda tax and Fat tax
5n the Inited &tates, legislators, health e=perts and cons!er advocates are considering
levying higher ta=es on the sale o# so#t drin%s and other sweetened beverages to help c!rb
the epideic o# obesity aong Aericans, and its har#!l ipact on overall health. &oe
spec!late that higher ta=es co!ld help red!ce soda cons!ption.[2,] 7thers say that ta=es
co!ld help #!nd ed!cation to increase cons!er awareness o# the !nhealthy e'ects o#
e=cessive so#t drin% cons!ption, and also help cover costs o# caring #or conditions res!lting
#ro overcons!ption.[2*] The #ood and beverage ind!stry holds considerable clo!t in
@ashington, 04, as it has contrib!ted ore than R*) illion to legislators since 2))).[2-]
5n Ban!ary 2)13, a 8ritish lobby gro!p called #or the price o# s!gary /99y drin%s to be
increased, with the oney raised (an estiated S1 billion at 2)p per litre) to be p!t towards a
(4hildrenGs .!t!re .!nd(, overseen by an independent body, which wo!ld enco!rage children
to eat healthily in school.[22]
%ans
5n Earch 2)13, Few Jor% 4ityGs ayor Eichael 8looberg proposed to ban the sale o# non"
diet so#t drin%s larger than 1- o!nces, e=cept in convenience stores and s!perar%ets. A
laws!it against the ban was !pheld by a state $!dge, who voiced concerns that the ban was
(#ra!ght with arbitrary and capricio!s conse6!ences(. 8looberg anno!nced that he wo!ld
be appealing the verdict.[2:]