A can of Coke could soon look like a pack of Marlboros, if one Bronx lawmaker has his way.
Assemblyman Jeff Dinowitz has introduced the "Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Safety Warning Act" — which would require tobacco-style health- warning labels on all sugary drinks, such a cola, iced tea and energy drinks.
The labels would read: "SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay."
Dinowitz said his bill is a more reasonable pro-consumer and pro-educational alternative to "Big Gulp" bans and soda taxes.
Former Mayor Mike Bloomberg failed in his bid to impose such a ban when a court struck down the measure in 2013.
But the political ground has shifted a bit toward health activists wanting stronger laws to address obesity.
Last fall, 75 percent of voters in left-leaning Berkeley, Calif., approved a referendum to impose a penny-an-ounce soda tax after 30 other states and cities — including New York state — failed to pass such measures.
Still, the American Beverage Association slammed the warning legislation as misguided.
"If we want to get serious about obesity, it starts with education — not laws and regulation," said the Association's spokesman, Christopher Gindlesperger. He also said the association is implementing a "balanced calories" plan aimed at cutting beverage calories by 20 percent by 2025.
But Dinowitz said his bill is a reasonable attempt to slow the scourge of killer sugar consumption.
"This is not a ban. It's a warning label. I believe warning labels contributed to the decrease in smoking," he said.
Health woes resulting from obesity add $147 billion to the nation's health costs, or 9 percent of all medical spending, he said.
People considered obese are more likely to suffer from diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, gum infections, amputations and Alzheimer's disease, medical experts say.
The assemblyman said sugary beverages are the single largest source of added sugars in US diets.
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