Should there be a Soda Tax several of the nation's leading health experts are calling for a tax on soda as a means of curbing America's obesity epidemic. Appearing in the most recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, calls for a tax on sugar sweetened drinks in order to reduce the consumption of the drinks and lower health costs as well as fund government run health programs. A tax on sugar sweetened beverages is really a double win. Much needed dollars can be raised while reducing obesity which is a major driver of health care costs. Ultimately the government needs to raise more money to cover the deficit, and in terms of ways of raising that revenue, a tax on sugar sweetened beverages is really a no brainer. Such a tax has been proposed in the past. The CDC noted that taxing sweetened beverages is not part of the current administration's position. Anything that decreases the availability and increases the price of unhealthy foods is likely to be effective. The challenge is getting that approved as such a tax. The Senate Finance Committee is hearing proposals on how to pay for President Obama's proposed universal health care plan, which is expected to cost more than $1 trillion. There will be a three cent tax on sodas as well as other sugary drinks, including energy and sport drinks. While many factors promote weight gain, soft drinks are the only beverage that has been shown to increase the risk of obesity, which, in turn, increase the risk of diabetes, and many other health problems Soft drinks are nutritionally worthless and are directly related to weight gain. If taxed a 12 ounce drink would raise $1.5 billion annually and lower consumption roughly one percent, improving overall health. The Congressional Budget estimates that a three cent tax would generate $24 billion over the next four years. Such a tax might well be considered a sin tax. Any soda tax proposal is unlikely to pass easily. A proposed 18percent tax on soft drinks died among pressure from the industry and resistance New Yorkers who didn't want to pay more for soda. It should be noted that the tax only pays for a tiny portion of the health care overhaul. The tax would hit poor Americans hardest and would not lower consumption. Taxes are not going to teach our children how to have a healthy lifestyle. If you want to make a big impact on people's health in this country, reducing things like soda drinking would be helpful. Coca Cola does not like the Soda Tax America's obesity problem is linked more to the nation's inactive lifestyle than to sugary beverages. Along with examples of how a inactive lifestyle contributes to weight gain,two states that have soda taxes West Virginia and Arkansas also rank among the 10 worst states for obesity rates. The president's proposal would amount to a new tax on the middle class. All it would do is further squeeze middle class families who are already struggling through a recession. This certainly doesn't seem the time to be taxing people's groceries. Americans don't like being told what to do. People don't want Big Brother telling them what to drink.
Members of the Public Health Community Debate Soda Tax on MSNBC from American Beverage Association on Vimeo.
