Oh, yes it was - and not a single one of the FReepers who have argued against legalized drugs on the basis of medical costs showed up on the soda threads to say that medical costs justified that ban.
Just as an aside, HULA has an enormously funny SNL video with Blooomberg and Christie talking about the hurricane. It gives credit to the ban on large sugary drinks for not causing New Yorkers to become huge balloons and float away in the flooding, something like that.