IDA and the Animal Protection and Rescue League (APRL) recently released the results of an independent Zogby opinion poll on banning foie gras -- liver from ducks or geese that have been force-fed -- in San Diego. The poll found that 85% of San Diegans agree that foie gras should be banned in San Diego, including 74% who "strongly agree."

Section 25980 of the California Health & Safety Code makes it illegal to sell or produce foie gras from force-fed birds in California starting in 2012. The poll asked if the public supports banning foie gras in San Diego without waiting for the statewide law to go into effect. The San Diego City Attorney recently issued a memo stating that the city could legally do this.

A number of politicians and celebrities have weighed in on the heated debate over foie gras. Most recently, San Diego native and star Kathy Najimy sent a letter to the San Diego City Council urging their support on a ban on the sale of the product. "Foie gras is nothing more than a diseased organ with a high price tag, and this cruel product has no place in America's Finest City," Najimy wrote.

Last December, APRL presented a video of its animal cruelty investigations into this controversial industry narrated by Sir Roger Moore (James Bond) to the San Diego City Council's Natural Resources and Culture Committee to support an ordinance that would ban the sale of foie gras. A vote on the proposed ordinance is still pending.

Meanwhile, in the UK, results of a poll conducted by the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) showed that 63% of Brits favor banning foie gras. British animal welfare laws prevent foie gras producers from setting up shop in the country, but the popularity of imported foie gras is on the rise. Chloe Alexander, an RSCPA campaigner, says the animal suffering caused by the force-feeding process "should be enough to turn anyone's stomach."

What You Can Do:

- Bills to ban foie gras are pending in several states right now. If you live in a state where a ban has not been introduced, please contact banfoiegras@idausa.org for information on how to get your legislators to introduce a ban.

For more information about foie gras cruelty, visit www.stopforcefeeding.com.