BALTIMORE, MD (May 19, 2016)–Today Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen issued the following statement following this week’s decision by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California to uphold the City of San Francisco’s proposed law to require warning labels for sugar-sweetened beverages:

“This week’s decision in California is great news for public health across our country. In Baltimore, we know that science is clear: sugary drinks lead to childhood obesity, which in turn lead to adult diseases that kill our residents.

Education is key to stopping those who disproportionately target communities of color, increasing health disparities in our most vulnerable neighborhoods. This is as much an issue of justice as it is one of health and we must do everything we can to inform our residents about the danger of sugar-sweetened beverages to protect the health of our children.

We commend our partners in California for their continued fight to improving our children’s’ health and our country’s future and hope our leaders here in Baltimore will follow suit and support our own proposal to improve the health and well-being of our city’s young people.”