Two Massachusetts Mayors Way Out of Line

Another story of government officials going too far has popped up in liberal Massachusetts. This time, two mayors want to ban Lazy Cakes Brownies. The brownies are made with a non-medicinal, non-narcotic, herbal dietary supplement that helps people relax and even helps them fall asleep.

In Fall River, Massachusetts, Mayor William A. Flanagan has called the brownies "despicable" and wants them banned. Meanwhile, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Mayor Scott W. Lang wants the brownies banned from town. The two Mayors cite critics who say that the product appeals to children.

What we have here is another situation of the government going too far. Lazy Cake Brownies, on their box and on the product website, state that the product is for adults. While it might make sense to ban the product from sale to minors, like tobacco, alcohol, and pornography, it is absurd to ban it from an entire city or town.

Adults should be free to purchase the products they want to buy. What the two foolish Massachusetts mayors have done is simply given more attention to Lazy Cakes Brownies, which will likely lead to more sales for the manufacturer. (Case in point, had they not made the absurd decision to try to ban the product, The Report would not have written a piece mentioning the product. Our piece will be read by hundreds of readers, many of which may have never heard of the product before and might become curious and decide to buy a box of Lazy Cakes Brownies for themselves.)

Banned in Boston

In the early 20th century, the term "Banned in Boston" was applied to works that were prohibited from being sold, performed, acted, etc. in Boston, Massachusetts due to unconstitutional censorship and abuse in the city. Today, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, a liberal Democrat has brought the banning back to Boston with a plan to ban beverages from city property. We're not talking about banning people from drinking liquor on the job, rather the ban is on the sale of "non-diet sodas, pre-sweetened ice teas, refrigerated coffee drinks, energy drinks, juice drinks with added sugar, and sports drinks." The Mayor has moved forward on this ban with the issuing of an executive order, meaning there was no democratic process or ability for the people of Boston to object.

What Mayor Menino is doing is blatantly attacking the right of the American people to make their own choices and decisions. While it is known that eating/drinking excessive amounts of sugar, whether in beverages or elsewhere, can lead to taking in more calories than recommended which can lead to weight gain or even obesity in the long-run, the choice on what to eat or drink should be left to individual Americans.

Drinking sports drinks or a soda in moderation doesn't lead to obesity. At a gym, you'll see many people who drink a sports drink while exercising. Some of them are obese, trying to get in shape, but many are not. Likewise, many who drink refrigerated coffee drinks, energy drinks, or non-diet soda aren't obese. Some are, but that's because of their own personal choices and bad decisions, not because the government allowed the sale of food and beverage with sugar in it.

Canned and bottled beverages contain nutritional data, including the amount of sugar/carbohydrates and calories on the bottle. Many even prominently feature this information on the front as a result of a movement by the beverage industry to make it easier for Americans to make their own decisions on what beverages to buy or drink. Unfortunately, the Mayor of Boston thinks that he should be able to decide what Bostonians can drink instead of allowing individuals the freedom to make their own decisions.

If you want to let Mayor Thomas M. Menino know that Americans are smart enough to make their own decisions, you can contact the Mayor's Office:

Mail: Mayor of Boston / 1 City Hall Square, Suite 500 / Boston, MA 02201-2013
Phone: 617.635.4500
Fax: 617.635.2851
E-Mail: mayor@cityofboston.gov

Four Loko Bans An Example of Government Gone Too Far

It's been in the news lately that many states (Massachusetts and Michigan, for example) are working on and/or announcing bans on alcoholic energy drinks, the most notable one being Four Loko. The bans come because they believe these drinks are a danger following stories about people ending up in the hospital or nearly dead following the abuse of these drinks, along with other alcohols. The FDA this week stated it was planning to declare the combination of alcohol and caffeine "unsafe," and that it could order a ban / seizure of the products (news story).

It should be noted that alcoholic energy drinks have been on the shelves for years. Additionally, people can mix alcohol and energy drinks themselves. Red Bull + Vokda is a popular drink at many bars. At The Pour House in Boston, I tried and enjoyed a drink called The Rejuvenator, which featured the combination of flavored vodka, Red Bull, and Gatorade. I didn't vomit, pass out, black out, or die as a result, because I drank in moderation. I'm sure that if I had 20 drinks in an hour, it would be a different story. In another example, we have a politician in New York who decided to experience Four Loko first hand, doing so in a foolish fashion where he throws up because he had over two and a half of Four Loko in an hour. He basically drank the equivalent of a glass of wine every five and a half minutes for an hour. Had he had one can, he probably would have been fine.

Alcohol is restricted in all 50 states to people of age 21 or higher*. Like tobacco, the decision to drink an alcoholic beverage is one that an adult should be able to make on his or her own. The government shouldn't decide what you can drink, you should decide. What the government's role should be is to make sure that people are able to make an informed decision. That is why I propose that the same standards requiring nutritional data and ingredient disclosure in food be applied to alcoholic beverages. If a can of iced tea has to have nutritional data and an ingredient list, then a can of Four Loko should too. Alcoholic beverages should not receive a special pass from the requirements of other beverages. Perhaps in addition to the normal warning from the Surgeon General on alcoholic beverages, an additional warning about the caffeine / alcohol should be added. In the end, though, if people choose to ignore these warnings, that should be their right and their freedom as an American living in what is supposed to be a free country.

*A future blog will likely discuss the topic of the age 21 drinking age, which has many problems and actually has led to greater rates of alcohol abuse in the United States than in other developed countries with lower drinking ages.