Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told a soda industry group, in the form of a cease-and-desist letter, to stop using him in its campaign against soda taxes in California’s Bay Area, says Politico. Sanders says he has not taken a position on referendums in San Francisco and Oakland and it is “false” and “misleading” for the American Beverage Association to feature him in advertising.
“The fact that Sanders has now publicly condemned the ads gives public health advocates new ammunition to counter the beverage industry’s narrative,” said Politico. Sanders opposed a soda tax in Philadelphia as regressive and hitting hardest the poor. The soda industry has used those comments against the referendums in three California cities and in Boulder, Colo.
A spokesman for the beverage industry said it is common practice to use public figures in political advertising, said Politico. “The fact is these taxes are regressive,” said the spokesman. “His representatives don’t quibble with his words to this point, nor should they.”
In a statement to Politico, Sanders said, “Excessive sugar consumption is a serious health problem for children and all of us. It can lead to obesity, diabetes and other serious illnesses. Every community in our country will determine how best to address this major health crisis.”