PLEASE PRINT ON YOUR ORGANIZATIONAL LETTERHEAD
[DATE]
The Honorable William Monning
California State Senate Majority Leader
State Capitol Building, Room 313
Sacramento, CA 95814
VIA FAX: (916) 651-4917
RE: Support for SB 203
Dear Senator Monning:
[Your organization’s name] strongly supports SB 203, which would require a warning label on sugar-sweetened beverages sold in California. California consumers have a right to know about the unique health problems associated with soda and other sugary drinks. SB 203 is a common sense approach to providing that vital science-based information.
California is experiencing a skyrocketing rate of diabetes, which iswreaking havoc on the public’s health and healthcare costs andliquid sugar has a unique role in driving this burgeoning epidemic. The average cost for a hospitalization of a patient with diabetes was $2,200 more than those for patients without diabetes, resulting in an additional $1.6 billion in hospitalization costs annually, including $254 million in costs paid by Medi-Cal alone. Individuals who drink one or two sugary drinks per day have a 26% higher risk for developing type2 diabetes. Over the past 10 years, the percent of U.S. teens that have diabetes or prediabetes has increased from nine percent to 23 percent. If the current obesity trends are not reversed, it is predicted that one in three children—and nearly half of Latino and African American children—born in the year 2000 will develop type 2 in their lifetime.
In addition, obesity now rivals smoking as the largest cause of preventable death and disease. In fact, obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years. There is overwhelming science linking the obesity epidemic to the consumption of soda and other sugary drinks. A child’s risk of obesity increases an average of 60% with each additional daily serving of soda or other sugary drink. A 2013 study found that in California 19% of children (ages 2-5), 32% of children 6-11 years and 65% of adolescents (ages 12-17) consume at least one soda or other sugary drink every day. Adults who drink at least one soda per day are 27% more likely to be overweight or obese compared to non-drinkers.
Senate Bill 203 is a major step forward in the fight against California’s obesity and diabetes epidemic. It will protect consumers and promote informed purchasing decisions by requiring a warning about the harmful effects of consumption of drinks with added sugars. [Name of your organization] strongly supports this important public health legislation and thank you for your leadership on this topic.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Title and Affiliation]
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Elizabeth Velten, State & National Policy Coordinator, CCPHA.
Questions? Call (510) 281-5634