Bloomberg and Paterson want sugary drinks off food stamp list

If Mayor Mike Bloomberg and Gov. David Paterson get their way food stamp users would be banned from buying buy sodas, teas, sports drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

“In spite of the great gains we’ve made over the past eight years in making our communities healthier, there are still two areas where we’re losing ground – obesity and diabetes,” Bloomberg said, noting that low-income people have higher rates of obesity.

The pols want permission from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the nation’s food stamp program, to add these beverages to the list of prohibited items for residents getting assistance.

If approved, it would be the first time an item would be banned based only on nutritional value.

"This … will only have an unfair impact on those who can least afford it," said the American Beverage Association.