Committee moves to send repeal of San Francisco ad ban on sugary drinks to full Board

Supervisor Malia Cohen, chair of the Land Use & Transportation Committee, said she introduced legislation to repeal the city—s ban on advertising sugar‑sweetened beverages on city property after a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling prompted legal review. "It's for this reason that I've introduced legislation to repeal the ban," Cohen said during the committee meeting.

Cohen told the committee that two companion measures — a requirement for health warning labels on sugary‑drink advertisements and limits on city spending for sugary beverages — will continue to move forward. "We will continue to... enact the warning label and the spending legislation," she said. Cohen framed the repeal as a legal response, not a retreat from public‑health goals.

Supervisor Scott Wiener urged continued public‑health efforts even as the advertising ban is repealed. Wiener cited the health harms of sugary drinks and referenced past city efforts, including the soda tax campaign. "The soda industry, with its deep pockets, of course, has also sued San Francisco over that law. We feel very good that we'll be able to defend [the warning‑label law] in court," Wiener said.

After brief discussion and no public comment, a member of the committee moved to send the repeal ordinance to the full Board with a positive recommendation. The motion passed "without objection," advancing the item for Board consideration.

What happens next: The committee forwarded the repeal to the full Board of Supervisors; the warning‑label and spending measures will continue to be pursued separately.