New York City Adopts First-Ever Ban on Sales of Large Soft Drinks

Ban on sale of large sodas and other sugary drinks approved. The proposal by New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, which seeks to combat rising obesity, was adopted by the city’s Board of Health. The first restriction of its kind in the country, the ban will apply to sales at restaurants, street carts and movie theaters of sweetened drinks in containers larger than 16 ounces. The measure will take effect in six months unless blocked by a judge. The soft-drink industry has strongly opposed the plan and vowed this week to fight it, possibly in the courts. It follows such other Bloomberg administration health policies as the posting of calorie counts on chain restaurant menus and a smoking ban in bars. The New York Times

Portland approves adding fluoride to drinking water. The move, approved by the city council in a 5-0 vote, would end Portland’s status as the biggest U.S. city not to fluoridate its water supply. Opponents, however, immediately vowed to gather enough signatures in 30 days to block the plan and force a public vote. The city council decision, which would affect about 900,000 residents in Portland and neighboring communities, followed a public hearing last week that pitted proponents of fluoridation to combat tooth decay versus critics who characterized the move as forced medication. Portlanders have voted against fluoridation three times, most recently in 1980. The Oregonian

Japan plans to phase out all nuclear plants by the 2030s. Japanese media today reported the plan, which would be a major policy shift for a resource-poor nation that once depended on atomic power for a third of its energy. The plan comes amid fierce political debate about the country’s 50 operable reactors, which are both prone to disaster and vital to the economy. It also represents a major concession from Japan’s traditionally pro-nuclear leaders to a largely anti-nuclear public, whose fears were stoked by the March 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. The government’s previous energy strategy, mapped out in 2010, called on Japan to boost its nuclear reliance to about 50 percent by 2030. The Washington Post

Child mortality worldwide falls 41 percent since 1990. A United Nations Children’s Fund report found the improvement, which was linked to improved nutrition, access to vaccines and antibiotics, cleaner deliveries, better care of infants immediately after birth and insecticide-treated mosquito nets. Last year, about 6.9 million children under age 5 died, down from 12 million in 1990. “The story is one of significant progress and unfinished business as well,” a UNICEF official said. “On average, around 19,000 children still die every day from largely preventable causes.” About half of all child deaths occur in five countries: India, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Pakistan and China. The Washington Post

Rise in whooping cough linked to waning effectiveness of vaccine. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that the effect of the vaccine in use since the 1990s weakens much faster than previously thought after a youngster gets the last of the five recommended shots by around age 6. The U.S. has had more than 26,000 whooping cough cases so far this year, including over 10,000 in children ages 7 to 10. In light of the latest findings and earlier research, health officials are considering recommending another booster shot for children, strengthening the vaccine or devising a new one. Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can be fatal for infants. The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal

Lawsuits accuse South African gold mining companies of exposing workers to toxins. The plaintiffs, who seek to turn their suits into class-action litigation, say the exposures in the mines have led to thousands of cases of silicosis, tuberculosis and lung cancer. The legal claims, which target AngloGold Ashanti, Harmony Gold Mining Company and Gold Fields, have been advanced by a recent landmark ruling by the South African Constitutional Court. The decision affirms that injured workers have the right to sue employers for occupational health-related damages. The litigation comes amid spreading labor unrest in the industry, with more than 60,000 South African miners on strike to demand higher pay. In These Times, The Associated Press

Recalls: Realspace Soho Prestigio high-back leather chairs, Spartan Stores deli products in Michigan, Ricotta Salata Frescolina at Whole Foods Market stores (expanded recall)

Compiled by Stuart Silverstein