France has put a ban on unlimited soda refills in an effort to stop obesity.
The ban went into effect on Friday and stops restaurants from providing unlimited refills of soft drinks to customers of face the possibility of jail time, according to the United Press International.
The new law serves as an effort to reduce obesity among children and adults.
According to the Business Insider, in France, one in every six adults is considered obese. As for French children, one in every five is overweight.
Under the new ban, it’s illegal for restaurants to offer drinks with unlimited refills, no matter if the drinks are sold for a fixed price or given away for free.
“This habit is common in other countries and it is increasingly taking hold in France,” Health Minister Marisol Touraine said in 2015, according to Food Republic. “I understand it can be attractive for young people who are offered unlimited sugary drinks, which contain an excessive amount of sugar or sweeteners.”
The ban will not only lead to the removal of public soda fountains in restaurants, but the same goes for fast-food chains and schools, according to the Telegraph.
The law, which also aims to address diabetes, was originally passed in 2015, but took until now for it to go into full effect.
According to the Business Insider, the measure was approved in April 2015, and added to the Health Act of January 2016.
France’s public health officials have been trying to get the ban implemented for the past 20 years, with child obesity prevention being the main motivator.
In 2004, France ordered schools to only include fruit and water in their vending machines, according to the Telegraph.
In 2011, France’s government put a ban on ketchup, which required schools to remove the condiment from their cafeterias and limit the selling of chips to just one day a week.
“France must be an example to the world in the quality of its food, starting with its children,” said Bruno Le Maire, the former agriculture and food minister in France, according to the Telegraph.
The new ban pertains to the following drinks, per the Business Insider:
- Flavored Carbonated Soft Drinks
- Non-carbonated Soft Drinks
- Concentrated Drinks
- Fruit and Milk-based Beverages
- Sports Drinks
- Energy Drinks