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California Bill Proposes Warning Labels on Soda
![Frozen soda can explosions are not due directly to water expanding as it freezes, but to the resulting pressure put on an isolated pocket of C02.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JTFoJVTrxhdC36QY6u7tGS-320-80.jpg)
A proposed law in California would require sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages to carry a warning label describing the potential health risks of the beverages.
The label, proposed by democratic State Senator Bill Monning, would read: "STATE OF CALIFORNIA SAFETY WARNING: Drinking beverages with added sugar(s) contributes to obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay," according to the California Medical Association, which is backing the bill. The wording was developed by a panel of nutrition and health experts.
"As with tobacco and alcohol warnings, this legislation will give Californians essential information they need to make healthier choices," Monning said in a statement.
Drinking one soda a day increases an adult's risk of being overweight by 27 percent, and a child's risk by 55 percent, the Medical Association said.
The California branch of the American Beverage Association, CalBev, opposes the bill, saying that obesity is a complex issue, and that many soda products already have calorie counts on the front of the bottle, according to the Los Angeles Times.
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Rachael is a Live Science contributor, and was a former channel editor and senior writer for Live Science between 2010 and 2022. She has a master's degree in journalism from New York University's Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program. She also holds a B.S. in molecular biology and an M.S. in biology from the University of California, San Diego. Her work has appeared in Scienceline, The Washington Post and Scientific American.