Denver City Council proposes ban on sugary soft drinks offered on restaurant kids menus
Denver City Council is proposing a ban on sugary drinks and soft drinks on kids menus at restaurants across the city. Those for the proposal say it's healthier for kids, will prevent chronic health problems and address health inequities.
Denver Councilman Chris Hinds, District 8, said if a restaurant has a kids menu, the menu would only have water or unflavored milk listed as a drink option, or no drink option would be listed.
Plus, while taking a customer's order, employees won't be offering sugary drinks or soft drinks to children sitting at the table. However, a parent or a child can still order any beverage they want, at any time, regardless of what is on the menu.
"Parents will still have the freedom of choice, parents know what's best for their children and if the parent believes that orange juice is the right answer for their child, they can order it," said Hinds.
Those for the measure say sugary and soft drinks exceed the amount of sugar a child should have in a day. They also argue sugary drinks increase conditions like tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, liver disease and heart disease. It's also argued that having soft drinks on kids menus disproportionally leads to Black and Hispanic youth consuming more soft drinks.
Hinds said they're trying to lead with what they think is the healthiest choice for kids in Denver.
"I'm a big fan of nudge legislation, and this is just another part of nudging people in Denver to do the right thing," said Hinds.
Last week the measure passed through the business committee unanimously. This week, it will go through one more committee before being put in front of city council for a vote, likely in the weeks ahead. If passed, the measure would take effect in July 2025.
The Colorado Restaurant Association is neutral on the proposal by Denver City Council.
Meanwhile, similar policies have also been adopted in three Colorado cities including Lafayette, Longmont and Golden. Golden adopted their ordinance two years ago.
Aimee and Dean Valdez own four businesses in Golden: Old Capitol Grill & Smokehouse, Miners Saloon, Bella Colibri and Brick Room Sports Lounge. The two said since the ordinance took effect in mid-2022, at their restaurants it's "achieving the opposite of what was intended by the legislation."
In a statement, they said, "When we removed drinks from the kids' meal selections, our sales of sodas, lemonade and the like INCREASED by 28% 2023 vs. 2022 (the first full year of the ordinance). Virtually all of that increase is attributable to parents buying a soda or lemonade for their kids."
The two said they've spoken with parents who have dined with their children since the ordinance was put in place. Most told them when they go out to dinner with their family, it's a "special occasion and they treat it as such -- getting their kids a special drink that they don't normally have at home."
The two added while they're supportive of healthy meals for kids, they haven't seen the ordinance be successful.
A Denver restaurant survey from 2018-2019 also showed 26% of restaurants in Denver County offer kids meals, while 67% don't have a kids meal, and 7% are unknown.
Half of restaurants in Denver offer kids meals sold with a beverage. The majority (89%) of restaurants in Denver county offer a sugary drink with a bundled kids' meal, while 11% don't offer any sugary drink.
