New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for the state’s Board of Health to pass legislation that would ban the sale of sugary beverages larger than 16 fluid ounces. The objective of the legislation is to help combat rising obesity rates by banning over-sized sugary drinks from being sold. This would not apply to diet sodas, fruit juices, dairy-based drinks, or alcohol. The New York sugary drink ban would have control over restaurants, movie theaters, ballpark concessions, and delis, but not grocery stores or vending machines. Additionally, the law only extends to the size of beverages sold, not the number of drinks purchased at one time. Sale of soda has been banned in similar manners across the country in some school districts and public buildings. Controversy surrounds this legislation regarding its legality and effectiveness, but if passed it will be implemented as early as March 2013. This is the first legislation in the nation to attempt to regulate the sizes of sugar-sweetened beverages sold to consumers.