Obama Open To Tax on Soda and Sugary Drinks

(AP)

In a newly-released interview with Men's Health magazine, President Obama has said he is open to the idea of a tax on soda and other sugary drinks, which some have pointed to as a way to help pay for health care reform.

"I actually think it's an idea that we should be exploring," Obama said in the interview. "There's no doubt that our kids drink way too much soda."

"Every study that's been done about obesity shows that there is as high a correlation between increased soda consumption and obesity as just about anything else," he continued. "Obviously it's not the only factor, but it is a major factor."

The president went on to note that there is resistance in Congress to "sin taxes" such as this.

"People's attitude is that they don't necessarily want Big Brother telling them what to eat or drink, and I understand that," he said. "It is true, though, that if you wanted to make a big impact on people's health in this country, reducing things like soda consumption would be helpful."

Michael Steel, spokesman for House minority Leader John Boehner, email reporters in response to the news arguing that "such a tax would violate the President's campaign pledge that no one making under $250,000 would pay higher taxes, since – according to the Congressional Research Service – 96.4 percent of it would be paid for by Americans making less than that."

Earlier this year, a proposal in New York state for an 18% state tax on soda and other sugary drinks met with widespread opposition, as the New York Daily News notes.

The Daily News quotes White House officials dialing back the president's comments. A spokesman noted the White House had not proposed such a tax, and an official is quoted saying he "is not going to do so."

Back in May, Michael Jacobson of the Center for Science in the Public Interest pushed for a three-cent tax on the drinks before the Senate Finance Committee.

"While many factors promote weight gain, soft drinks are the only food or beverage that has been shown to increase the risk of overweight and obesity, which, in turn, increase the risk of diabetes, stroke, and many other health problems," he said.

Health care reform is expected to cost as much as $1 trillion over the next ten years. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a three-cent tax would generate $24 billion over the next four years.

Lobbyists for Coca-Cola Co., PepsiCo Inc and other drink manufactures have been working to halt any such tax. Spokesman Kevin Keane of the lobbying group the American Beverage Association told Bloomberg, "A vast majority of Americans have heartburn when the government uses the tax code to tell them what to consume."

[Xanax06]

TAX THE RICH, FEED THE POOR, TILL THERE ARE NO RICH ANYMORE.

[Xanax06]

Taxing soda, whats next? Obama TAX ALCOHOL 25% Now thats a Sin Tax I can live with. SODA????? ***? Where does he get this crap from? Wait, that would upset middle class America. You can drink your self to death legally
But you cant legally smoke marijuana. Makes no sense. Hey I know, lets all take our votes back, and have another election, minus McCain, and Obama.

[jlibonati]

As a Registered Dietitian (RD) and consultant to the food and beverage industry, I am upset regarding all of the soda tax media. First, let?s look at why people choose soda. If we begin exploring reasons why someone may want to enjoy fewer than 200 discretionary calories per day from a soft drink, the soda-obesity relationship will warrant much further investigation. If total calories matter most in determining ones body mass, as all health professionals would agree, enjoying approximately 10% of ones discretionary calories on any food or beverage isn?t going to break the calorie bank and lead to a higher body mass index (BMI).
It?s going to be interesting to watch what happens to our obesity rates and obesity related diseases like diabetes if a ?sin tax? is imposed. For example, if soda were taxed 18% as recommended earlier in New York State, even if a six pack a week were consumed for an entire year, the taxable income collected is going to be no where near the additional health care costs incurred due to obesity. If you?re thinking ?the consumer will stop drinking soda and therefore not become obese? think again. Obesity has many faces including social, genetic, environmental, behavioral, and metabolic. Most of all, it?s a lifestyle choice and teaching the public rather than trying to legislate one?s choice is getting at the root of obesity.

[equusjf]

So - Obama wants folks to be fat AND poor. Great!

[jsf14]

Tax sweet drinks! They are a treat, not a necessity. Somewhere along the line treats became something everyone had a right to now and then every day. I suppose I'm showing my age when I say that we were in better shape when treats such as soda pop, candy bars, ice cream, and cookies were for special occassions, and those did not include the birthdays of each of the 300 people who worked in your building. So I don't mind if soft drinks become so expensive they go back to being occasional treats.

[mljohns00]

If soft drink prices go higher from taxes, I'm going to switch back to beer for breakfast. It's better for you anyway.

[chamade-2009]

johnthecableguy said:

"I say BS. Those people know the hazards of a Big Mac just as well as I know the hazards of a pack of Marlboros."

Those people? There are plenty of people who eat Big Macs regularly and don't become obese. Obviously if heavy folks are ordering diet colas with their fast food, sugar in drinks isn't the problem.

Carbs are the problem. My daughter is a Type I diabetic. She is not overweight, Type I diabetes is genetic in her case. Insulin Dependent diabetics don't measure their sugar intake, they measure their carbs. Pastas, breads, potatoes, some veggies, they can all cause an increase in weight. Let's not paint overweight people with the same brush. And nobody knows, unless they check, what's in a Big Mac as compared to a pack of Marlboros. Big Macs and other fast food don't come with the Surgeon General's warnings. We didn't know until "Supersize Me" how bad that kind of food is for you. Taco Bell - compare the soft taco to the crunchy taco. It's on their nutritional information page. You'd be surprised which is the healthier choice. Even a McDonald's salad is full of sodium. Sodium is yet another problem with foods.

I'm not going to blame a group of people with weight issues for the discussion of taxing sugary drinks. It's unfairly targeting a small percentage of people and blaming them for a situation over which they have no control (taxes). And you shouldn't either. Even if you can do it anonymously on an internet message board. You're hurting people you don't know, and really you have no personal gripe with them.

[jsd330]

I wonder what Obama would think about taxing ice cream, since he likes to buy it for his daughters. Ice cream is just as bad as soft drinks, maybe worse.

[ibsteve2u]

Definitely need to tax women's perfume and those deodorants/body washes that target young men.

Gad...is getting so getting on an elevator is hazardous to your health.

[legacyabq]

""Kevin Keane of the lobbying group the American Beverage Association told Bloomberg, "A vast majority of Americans have heartburn when the government uses the tax code to tell them what to consume.""

How ironic! It all that SODA that causes heartburn for many people! And they keep drinking it anyway!

LOL!