Supporters of Mayor Michael Bloomberg's proposed sugary drink ban gathered on the steps of City Hall on Monday to encourage people to get behind the ban.

Health and advocacy programs, including Energy Up! and United Way, say sugar is like a drug and its role in obesity is one the city can no longer afford.

"Sugar is the new tobacco and 15 years ago if you would have told someone you won't be smoking in New York City clubs or anyplace else, they'd have laughed you out of the room. Sugar is a drug, it needs to be dealt with this way," said Kathie Dolgin of Energy Up!

"More than half of New York adults obese or overweight and 40 percent of our children," said United Way of New York City Chief of Staff Alex Martinez.

"So we think this is a very common sense solution to a really chronic problem," said Jennifer March-Joly of the Citizens' Committee For Children Of New York.

Last month, the mayor proposed a ban on sugary beverages larger than 16-ounces in city restaurants, movie theaters, and food carts.