California lawmakers are a step closer to slapping warning labels on soft drinks.

A measure that would require sugary soft drink containers to sport warnings about the risks of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay faced by those who consume their contents passed out of the state senate's appropriations committee on a 5-2 vote and headed for consideration by California's full legislature.

The bill will next go to the senate floor, where a final vote on the issue could come as early as the middle of next week.

If approved, the bill would position California -- which banned sodas and junk food from public schools nine years ago -- at the front of a growing national effort to limit consumption of high-calorie beverages that medical experts blame for skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity.

"This is a major victory for public health advocates, community groups, physicians, and dentists," said Democratic state senator Bill Monning, author of the bill, in a story by Reuters. "By informing consumer choice, we can improve the health of Californians."

The legislation marks the second time Monning, who represents coastal Senate District 17 which stretches from about San Jose southward to nearly Santa Barbara, has tried to influence consumers' drink choices through state laws.

Last year, Monning backed an unsuccessful attempt to tax sugary drinks.

Efforts to curtail consumption of sugary drinks through taxes and other efforts have faced strong opposition from the United States food and beverage industry, which is fighting the labeling legislation.

During a committee hearing in April, a representative of the California Nevada Soft Drink Association asserted that although the proposed labeling law meant well, it would "do nothing to prevent obesity, diabetes or tooth decay, and may even make problems worse," Reuters reported.

The association argues that the main sources of added sugars in American diets are sandwiches and hamburgers, not sodas or other soft drinks.