Baltimore Ordinance 18-0114 requires restaurants to default kids' meal beverages to water, milk, or 100% juice. Sugary drinks remain available on request but cannot be the default offering on menus.
Baltimore was the first major East Coast city to enact a healthy beverage default law via Ordinance 18-0114 (2018, effective 2019). It applies to restaurants offering combination kids' meals. Default beverages on printed menus, menu boards, and online ordering must be water (sparkling, flavored unsweetened, or plain), unflavored milk or non-dairy alternatives, or 100% fruit/vegetable juice with no added sweeteners. Parents may still order sodas or sweetened drinks on request. BCHD enforces with warnings before fines. The law targets childhood obesity and diabetes prevalence, particularly in Baltimore's lower-income neighborhoods where chain restaurants dominate.
Warning on first violation; civil citations up to $100 thereafter, escalating for repeat offenses within 12 months.
See how Baltimore's healthy food retail rules stack up against other locations.
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