California lawmakers are turning their attention to a proposal requiring warning labels on sugary drinks, even though a similar bill failed last year.
The proposal would mandate health advisories on sodas, sweet teas and energy drinks with 75 calories or more per 12 ounces.
Democratic Senator Bill Monning said the evidence of the link between sugar, obesity and diabetes is "rock solid."
"The trajectories of preventable type-two diabetes remain out-of-control, and we think from a public health point of view, the focus on sugar-sweetened beverages remains critical," Monning said.
But Roger Salazar of Californians for Food and Beverage Choice, which speaks for the beverage industry, said serious health conditions demand more complex solutions than warning labels. Some milk-based products would be exempt.
"Singling out one industry... all it will do is create confusion and send a confusing message to consumers about what causes obesity," Salazar said.
Monning had previously introduced a soda tax, which failed. He said his warning label measure does not require a two-thirds majority vote in the legislature.
Cheryl Moder, who directs the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, thinks putting warning labels on sugary drinks is the right thing to do.
"People understand that soda probably isn't a good source of nutrition. But I really don't think they completely understand the harmful role that sodas play in the development of chronic disease," she said.
Moder said surveys show 61 percent of San Diego teens have at least one soft drink a day.
