[cliffu]

I think your point is muddied by "celebratory" and "special occasions", which is too bad because it's a good point; but it's going to be lost on people who have a beer or glass of wine with dinner, even though we probably all agree that drinking a "big gulp" beer at work is inappropriate and maybe we should feel that way about colas too.

[s_q_b]

You're probably right. Dinner to me falls into the same category. Just as there's nothing wrong with a beer or a glass of wine with dinner, there's nothing wrong with a cold glass of Coke by the pool. It's the failure to socially recognize the dangers of excess in sugary drinks that's problematic.