BALTIMORE, MD (July 18, 2018) — Today, the Baltimore City Healthy Beverages for Children’s Meals bill (C.B. 17-0152) officially takes effect in Baltimore. Water, milk, and 100% fruit juice are now the default beverage options for all kid’s meals offered at restaurants in the city.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated one in three school-aged children in the city are obese and one in four Baltimore children drink at least one soda every day, well over the American Heart Association’s recommendation that children over the age of two drink a maximum of one eight-ounce sugary drink a week.

“The science is clear: one of the biggest contributors to childhood obesity is sugary drinks, and childhood obesity is a major risk factor for diabetes, heart disease, and early death,” said Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore City Health Commissioner. “Taking out empty calories from sugary drinks is a powerful lifestyle change we can make to help our children to get and stay healthy. This law will help families make the healthy choice the easy choice.”

With this new legislation, Baltimore joins seven cities in California, the county of Santa Clara, Calif., and the city of Lafayette, Colo., all of which mandate that restaurants offer water, milk, or 100% fruit juice for kid’s meals.

For more information, contact the Baltimore City Health Department at 410-396-4424, or visit our website at https://health.baltimorecity.gov.