The Beverage Tax

by Laura McKenna

One of the many proposed policies aimed at reducing obesity is a beverage tax. New York State has proposed a one cent tax on sugary drinks.

In Diane Sawyer's documentary of Appalachia, she has a long discussion of how the huge consumption of Mountain Dew in that area results in horrible tooth decay by age 30. 

There's a 7/11 about 50 yards from my son's middle school. After school, hundreds of kids load up on Slurpies everyday on their way home. A good number of them drink Slurpies for breakfast before school as well. 

Jane Brody from the New York Times reports, "In the last half-century, consumption of sugars by the average American has increased by more than 24 pounds a year, expanding waistlines and crowding out more nutritious foods." She discusses the latest research on the problems with soda.

Coca Cola and their lobbying group, the American Beverage Association, are actively fighting the beverage tax. They've been running commercials about how this is going to cost working families more money and how they're putting in better options into the soda machines at schools.

Supporters say that a beverage tax is no different than the tax on cigarettes, which has helped reduce smoking. It can raise billions of dollars that can be used for good programs. If the tax money that is raised goes directly to the communities that consume these beverages, then it's not a poor tax, like the lottery.

They argue that a one cent tax alone isn't going to change consumption habits and probably won't make anyone thinner, but it will raise some good money and help raise awareness that soda shouldn't be an everyday habit.

Other ideas include pressuring fast food restaurants to not make soda the default drink in combo specials, removing soda machines from schools, and giving children the same anti-soda messages in health class at school, similar to anti-smoking messages that they already receive.

Where do you stand on this issue? Do believe that soda is a harmless beverage that is American as baseball and hotdogs and that it is wrong to impose a tax on it? Would this tax impose an unfair burden on families? Should government be discouraging the consumption of soda given the well documented health risks? Are sugary drinks the new cigarette?

Comments

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i believe this is a good idea one cent doesnt seem like it would hurt any struggling family i think people are going to get their fix no matter what the cost. I do believe sugary drink are a part of the obesity rise but not to that extreme its more fast food places and junk food in vending machines. I think issues relating in school they should banned the vending machines and provides healthier chocies in cafeterias I think the taxed money should go to good causes within a community many communities lack recreation areas where teens can go get involved in it might reduce violence and recreational drug use within communities i suggest it being taxed more just like their was a up priced on cigs people are still buying so if the money is going to go to a good cause then why not tax it

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I do not think the one cent tax is really necessary. It is such an insignificant amount that it probably will not change whether or not someone buys soda. Plus, there are many other foods and drinks that contribute to the obesity problem so I'm wondering if this tax will actually help solve anything. There are other ways to advocate healthier eating/drinking that will likely be more effective. I do like the idea of not making soda the default drink in fast food combo meals.

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Like many taxes, the populace are against it. I do not believe in taxing the people to bail out mismanagement.

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Jane Brody from the New York Times reports, "In the last half-century, consumption of sugars by the average American has increased by more than 24 pounds a year, expanding waistlines and crowding out more nutritious foods." She discusses the latest research on the problems with soda.

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This is also known as the beer tax. Taxing alcoholic beverages not limited to breweries. Related to this is the tobacco tax.