Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen will be joined by Councilman Nick Mosby and former NFL player Aaron Maybin today to urge the City Council to pass legislation that would require warning labels about sugary beverages on advertisements and restaurant menus.
The City Council's health committee will hold a hearing at 12:30 p.m. on the bill that would also require labels on any point of sale in the city where these products are sold.
Health professionals and community leaders from across the city will also join Wen.
Sugar-sweetened beverages contain added caloric sweetener. Examples include soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, most juices, sweetened coffee drinks and sweetened teas.
Baltimore would become the second jurisdiction in the country, and the first on the East Coast, to require warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages.
Research has shown that sugary beverages can lead to obesity and other long-term health problems.