Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – New York

U.S. rejects mayor’s plan to ban use of food stamps to buy soda, By Patrick McGeehan, August 19, 2011, New York Times: “Federal officials on Friday rejected Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s proposal to bar New York City’s food stamp users from buying soda and other sugary drinks with them. The decision derailed one of the mayor’s big ideas to fight obesity and poor nutrition in the city. Mr. Bloomberg and the city’s health commissioner, Dr. Thomas A. Farley, were quick to criticize the ruling by the United States Department of Agriculture as a disservice to low-income residents. Dr. Farley, who said he was ‘very upset’ by the decision, said that it ‘really calls into question how serious the U.S.D.A. is about addressing the nation’s most serious nutritional problem.’ In October, city and state officials proposed a two-year experiment to see if the prohibition would reduce obesity among people who buy their groceries with food stamps…”