Should all beverage except Water be banned?

[Qnubi]

I know this sounds drastic, but imo we would increase the global health by quite a substantial amount if all drinks except water would be banned. Obviously tea could still be sold in a pure way with no sugar added. I strongly believe the greatest problem we have in modern health society are sugared and alcoholic drinks. If they were all banned it would make the world population more healthy. 10 years ago I quit all alcoholic and sugary drinks and not only did I lose weight without doing any exercise or changing diet apart from that, I also noticed less stomach/headaches and my skin became more smooth and clean.

Even junkfood has some value to the body in terms of minerals/vitamins. Sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages don't have such an impact. So, imo there is no downside to ban those things and nothing of value is lost.

[Wishblade]

In a world where that'd be possible, by all means.

And while we do so, let's focus all that additional time, money, and effort into having clean water available everywhere.

[Low Hanging Fruit]

Whats the point. The world is on the path to self distruction with global warming anyway. Worrying about people drinking a coke, beer, or water seems to be minor as fuck.

[Mihalik]

sip.

Have you ever heard of this thing called "The Prohibition"?

That went well. And that was just booze.

Also, clue, certain alcoholic beverages when consumed in moderation actually carry substantial health benefits. Like wine.

Beyond that, isotonic drinks (sports drinks) are used both to prevent and to treat various medical conditions.

Bans are dumb and proponents are even dumber.

What needs to be done is adults need to grow a pair and stop giving soft drinks to kids, they need to be taken out of school cafeterias and a substantial sugar tax is to be added to them.

I drink recreationally on weekends or parties or a glass of wine with lunch or dinner and I occasionally have a soda or something when I'm tired or whatnot. Still about 80% of my fluid intake is plain water.

And I am not fat because I walk, run, go the gym.

A ban wouldn't work plus it's not the actual source of the problem in the first place.

Also while you personally might not drink socially, billions of other people do and there would be substantial economic loss, combined with damage to centuries or thousands of years old traditions of brewing.

[Acidbaron]

Banning does not work, that's the lesson we learn from history.

We need to however invest in education and information, that is currently being blocked by food, sugar and other related lobbyists. It's fine to drink something sugary, it's not fine to drink just that. All about moderation and right now we have kids who only recognized incorrectly a certain type of fruit flavour through that type of beverage or food and when given the actual fruit they don't recognize it by taste that is bad.

The people need to be left alone, the sugar lobby, the super markets that intentionally place certain products (psychology behind it) are the ones that need to be forced to change, the rest will change naturally over the course of time.

I am in favour of banning soft drink vending machines from school grounds and it has happened here in many places, it simply does not belong there and sets people off on a bad example from young age, our schools are not grounds for product placement. Same should go for advertisement, certain products should simply be banned from advertising during certain hours when kids are the most active on tv while their programmation is on. And that is happening already in most nations, with a few exceptions. US where corporate interest is defended over everything is one of them.

[Techno-Druid]

No, I don't think it's the government's responsibility to determine what adult citizens (18+) can and cannot do with their own bodies. Prohibition is also not that effective, if the 1920s and the War on Drugs has taught us anything.

[Flarelaine]

I agree with the previous posters. I support taxing the fuck outta sugary shit, though.

[Ghostpanther]

No, I don't think it's the government's responsibility to determine what adult citizens (18+) can and cannot do with their own bodies. Prohibition is also not that effective, if the 1920s and the War on Drugs has taught us anything.

This. So, no. And I say that with myself drinking maybe 3 a year.

[Galactis]

Absolutely. We should also make nutrient bars that contain nothing else except the bare essentials for human beings to survive, and ban eating anything else.

We should also ban all forms of entertainment as that takes away from our self loathing time. Also institute mandatory self flagellation to atone for our ancestors desire to have children.

Lawls. This is a great response.

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I will disagree with the government not being allowed to tell adults what they can and cannot do. Sorry but, I don't want to have to deal with smokers in a building or bar or restaurant while I'm eating. That hurts my health and puts me in danger, glad that was banned federally. As far as the water thing, Well it would solve a huge majority of health problems. Granted this will never happen.

[Ghostpanther]

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I will disagree with the government not being allowed to tell adults what they can and cannot do. Sorry but, I don't want to have to deal with smokers in a building or bar or restaurant while I'm eating. That hurts my health and puts me in danger, glad that was banned federally. As far as the water thing, Well it would solve a huge majority of health problems. Granted this will never happen.

Well, yeah. That is different however, because it is something which directly can harm your own health. That is outside of your control.

And not meant as a response to your post, but I am not so sure about this sugary drinks being that harmful to begin with. Warren Buffet drinks 5 cans of coke a day and has for decades. He is nether overweight or appears unhealthy. He is 84. They may help to contribute to being obese or if you have high blood sugar, etc. But they are not the only contributing factor for those conditions.

[Galactis]

Well, yeah. That is different however, because it is something which directly can harm your own health. That is outside of your control.

True, was just throwing it out there. But, I don't think banning everything except water is even logical at all. Just doesn't make sense. Drinks market is probably the largest revenue generating industry in the world. It's massive, pop, soda, tea, water, juice, all the other types of drinks.

I myself drink water about 98% of the time each day. So to me that's fine but, I do like a beer, or tea, or juice. I rarely drink pop so... yeah I brush my teeth everyday and keep a clean mouth but, stuff is expensive.

[Qnubi]

So the general consensus is actually that, yes it is bad, but we should not enforce anything that is bad to be banned. Also, financial gain seems to be more important than general health of the population. Some people also suggest heavily taxing these things which will just make people pay more to feel worse. Sugar does have an addictive effect on a few people, just like gambling has a strong effect on some people. Why don't we feel the need to protect these people? It is VERY unlikely that someone that exclusively drinks soda/energy drinks to just wake up one day and say screw it, I am gonna buy water now. I have also talked to people that are 30+ and asked them if they know that only drinking soda/energy drinks is super bad. And they acknowledge it but choose to continue because they "taste" so good and/or are addicted to the sugary rush. High sugar products should at least have warnings like cigarettes do and be for 18+ only. I only included sugary drinks for now but in general would want also sugary food to be more prohibited. It is not beneficial to our society to have these things, at all.

[Ghostpanther]

So the general consensus is actually that, yes it is bad, but we should not enforce anything that is bad to be banned. Also, financial gain seems to be more important than general health of the population. Some people also suggest heavily taxing these things which will just make people pay more to feel worse. Sugar does have an addictive effect on a few people, just like gambling has a strong effect on some people. Why don't we feel the need to protect these people? It is VERY unlikely that someone that exclusively drinks soda/energy drinks to just wake up one day and say screw it, I am gonna buy water now. I have also talked to people that are 30+ and asked them if they know that only drinking soda/energy drinks is super bad. And they acknowledge it but choose to continue because they "taste" so good and/or are addicted to the sugary rush. High sugar products should at least have warnings like cigarettes do and be for 18+ only.

You would have to ban a lot of the cereals children love. It actually opens a Pandora's box if you start banning all high sugar content items and require such regulation as only being for adults. Too much like Big Brother watching over you for myself. And they already list the calories on items and the ingredients.

[Galactis]

So the general consensus is actually that, yes it is bad, but we should not enforce anything that is bad to be banned. Also, financial gain seems to be more important than general health of the population. Some people also suggest heavily taxing these things which will just make people pay more to feel worse. Sugar does have an addictive effect on a few people, just like gambling has a strong effect on some people. Why don't we feel the need to protect these people? It is VERY unlikely that someone that exclusively drinks soda/energy drinks to just wake up one day and say screw it, I am gonna buy water now. I have also talked to people that are 30+ and asked them if they know that only drinking soda/energy drinks is super bad. And they acknowledge it but choose to continue because they "taste" so good and/or are addicted to the sugary rush. High sugar products should at least have warnings like cigarettes do and be for 18+ only. I only included sugary drinks for now but in general would want also sugary food to be more prohibited. It is not beneficial to our society to have these things, at all.

The problem with current drinks right now companies have been making "Sugar Free" drinks. This is a double sided problem: 1. The drink is still sweet or now even sweeter than with just regular sugar. 2. Companies that label drinks "Sugar Free", and it says zero grams of sugar, also do not have to label what makes the drink sweet. A lot of drinks are sugar free and say no sugar but, they are still very sweet. Therein lies the problem, Make it required to label what is making the drink sweet, how much of it is in the can, and make public awareness.

I'm comparing Red Bull regular and sugar free. The sugar free is still super sweet but, it does not say what it is sweetened with.

[Amerissis]

No, it's part of the stupid tax. Stupid people make stupid choices, leading to illness, death, reduced chances of reproduction. It's one of only a few ways to keep Idiocracy from happening. We need it.

[Ghostpanther]

The problem with current drinks right now companies have been making "Sugar Free" drinks. This is a double sided problem: 1. The drink is still sweet or now even sweeter than with just regular sugar. 2. Companies that label drinks "Sugar Free", and it says zero grams of sugar, also do not have to label what makes the drink sweet. A lot of drinks are sugar free and say no sugar but, they are still very sweet. Therein lies the problem, Make it required to label what is making the drink sweet, how much of it is in the can, and make public awareness.

I'm comparing Red Bull regular and sugar free. The sugar free is still super sweet but, it does not say what it is sweetened with.

That is the correct approach. Let the public know the risks and then let the person decide if they want it.

[niztheundead87]

[Galactis]

Great movie! lol

[smityx]

I know this sounds drastic, but imo we would increase the global health by quite a substantial amount if all drinks except water would be banned. Obviously tea could still be sold in a pure way with no sugar added. I strongly believe the greatest problem we have in modern health society are sugared and alcoholic drinks. If they were all banned it would make the world population more healthy. 10 years ago I quit all alcoholic and sugary drinks and not only did I lose weight without doing any exercise or changing diet apart from that, I also noticed less stomach/headaches and my skin became more smooth and clean.

Even junkfood has some value to the body in terms of minerals/vitamins. Sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages don't have such an impact. So, imo there is no downside to ban those things and nothing of value is lost.

As long as it includes all forms of coffee except basic black. See how well this goes down in places like CA and NY City.

[Hilhen7]

Why not just ban artificial sugar and sweeteners?

Good luck...