"Soda Tax" Push Gets Refreshed With New Research

A study published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that a national tax of just one penny per ounce on sugary beverages would raise $14.9 billion in its first year, which could help pay for some sweet health care initiatives. Such a tax was floated by Governor Paterson earlier this year, then quickly defeated by the beverage industry. Will the same thing happen here? The health care reform plan from Senator Max Baucus has an estimated cost of $774 billion over 10 years, but includes no mention of a tax on sugary drinks, which some doctors think could lower Americans' soda consumption and ultimately reduce consumers' health problems. But according to some critics, the risk is that the tax it could transform America into a communist-run labor camp! Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent called such a tax "outrageous. I have never seen it work where a government tells people what to eat and what to drink. It if worked, the Soviet Union would still be around." Any patriots out there who want to stop the government from forcing feeding tubes down the throat of every decent, soda-loving American can join the beverage industry's fight at Americans Against Food Taxes.

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By John Del Signore in Food on September 17, 2009 4:26 PM

Comments [rss]

Espiazul

Tax all crap "food"! And put the money towards health care. But the tax should be paid by both the consumer and the manufacturer.

Kojak

"...some sweet health care initiatives. "

Go back to Cali. We don't say 'Sweet' here.

NannyState

Funny how Coke and Pepsi were widely available in the Soviet Union years before it collapsed. And I don't recall the CEO of either getting his pink Miss Kitty panties in a bunch over that.

birdmechanical

Do it.

If they tax my alcohol and cigarettes, tax the soda.

Soda already is cheap by using corn syrup based partially on government subsidies of corn. I would love if they took away the subsidies, but taxing it seems to be a way around that while gaining money for important things.

PTG in nyc

Driftwood, I hadn't heard that idea before, but it makes perfect sense. If Mr. cola CEO hates the idea of government intervention in his product so much, then maybe he should decline subsidies of one of their most important ingredients.

I also had no idea that the Soviet Union failed because of their meany pants ways of not allowing their citizens to drink cheap soda, but thankfully Coca Cola has set the record straight.

vespavirgin

no one is up in arms about the tampon tax. they're much more necessary than soda.

Jen S

Perfect, if we're priced out of tampons, we can sit in a hut for 4-6 days each month.

oofstar

is there a tampon specific tax beyond regular sales tax?

oofstar

how much money would they raise if they taxed on cent on every stock market transaction made?

Free Refills

But what impact would this have on the American institution of free refills?

Free Refills

A one cent per-ounce tax would mean I could never refill my Big Gulp for free again.

ides_of_march

If you think politicians and bureaucrats are really motivated by concern for your health as opposed to just looking for another excuse to relieve you of your money, you're a gullible moron.