New York became the first city in the US to ban the sale of large sodas and sugary beverages in restaurants, a move that mayor Michael Bloomberg said will help combat the "obesity epidemic" that kills 6,000 New Yorkers every year and is destroying the health of Americans.
The New York City Board of Health voted 8-0 on Thursday in favour of limiting the size of sugary beverages sold in restaurants, mobile food carts, delis and at movie theatres, stadiums and arenas. There was one abstention.
The new regulation will go into effect next March, giving establishments six months to comply with new rules that sugary beverages with more than 25 calories per eight ounces can only be sold in portions of 16 ounces or less.
"This is the biggest step a city has taken to curb obesity," Bloomberg said.
Health experts have noted that sugary drink consumption is a key driver of the obesity epidemic as sugary drinks are high in calories.