Experts Push 1 Cent per Ounce Soda Tax

Plan in New England Journal of Medicine would Fund Nutirition Programs; Provision Absent from Health Care Proposals

(AP)  In a bid to ramp up the public health battle against obesity, a group of nutrition and economics experts are pushing for a tax of 1 cent on every of ounce of sodas and other sweetened beverages.

Proposals for a hefty soda tax though have repeatedly fallen flat. The idea was even floated as a way to help pay for health care reform, but government officials on Wednesday said that's not likely to happen.

The experts' plan was released by the influential New England Journal of Medicine, in a health policy article by Arkansas' surgeon general, New York City's health commissioner and five national experts on health and economics.

A soda tax would generate tax revenue while discouraging people from consuming extra calories, the authors contend. They cited a series of studies that showed higher rates of obesity and diabetes among women who drank more sugar-sweetened beverages. They argue that a steeper soda tax would borrow the same strategy that helped drive down cigarette smoking while bolstering government revenues.

But a golden opportunity for enacting a national soda tax apparently slipped away Wednesday, when the Senate Finance Committee released its health reform proposal without a previously considered soda tax provision.

The House of Representatives' health reform bill also is without a soda tax. And a White House spokesman on Wednesday said President Barack Obama is not going to ask for Congress to put a soda tax in.

The politics of health reform are too delicate right now to provoke an attack from the sugar and beverage industries, said Kenneth Thorpe, a health policy researcher at Emory University.

"They're at such a fragile place, introducing anything new and big like that into the mold is not likely to happen," said Thorpe, who served as a federal health policy official under President Bill Clinton.

Taxes on soda aren't new - 33 states charge sales tax on soft drinks. But generally they are fairly small, with the average soda tax rate being 5.2 percent. On a 12-ounce can of soda that costs $1, that translates to about 5 cents.

The latest proposal in Thursday's issue of the medical journal calls for a 1-cent-per-ounce sales tax, an amount more than double the average state tax. It would increase the levy on that $1 soda can to 12 cents.

A national tax of that amount would generate nearly $15 billion in its first year, said proposal author Kelly Brownell, director of Yale University's Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity.

The money could be used for child nutrition and obesity prevention programs, the authors suggested. The tax also would lead to a yearly 2-pound weight loss for soda drinkers, on average, they estimated. For people who drink who drink a lot of soda, it could be more, Brownell said.

His co-authors included Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson; New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley; University of North Carolina obesity expert Barry Popkin; University of Illinois economist Frank Chaloupka; and Harvard nutrition and obesity experts Dr. Walter Willett and Dr. David Ludwig.

But the beverage industry will no doubt fight a legislative proposal like that, Brownell and others said. PepsiCo threatened to move its corporate headquarters out of New York before that state dropped efforts to implement an 18-percent sales tax on sweetened beverages, they noted.

The American Beverage Association disputed that the soda tax would reduce obesity rates.

"We agree that obesity is a serious public health issue, but the solution put forth by these researchers simply won't work," the trade group said in a statement. "Reducing obesity will only be addressed through comprehensive solutions."

Thompson, the Arkansas surgeon general, said one reason soda taxes fail is that consumers don't view sugared beverages as an important source of their weight problems.

"That's a new concept" that may take a while to gain wide acceptance, he said.

Brownell said it is more likely that soda taxes would be adopted first by states, than by the federal government.

"That's what happened with tobacco. The states were on it long before there was federal action," he said.

[forpostingonly]

Imposing a tax under the guise of "preventing obesity" is one of the biggest crocks of BS this week... If the government was so concerned about obesity -- for starters -- why not tax M&M's...Ben & Jerry's Ice cream....potatoes and the oil for deep frying...Burger King's triple Whoppers....etc...Cheez Doodles....etc. How about taxing all the pounds people put on above the normal weight for one's height.... How about taxing people who don't exercise.... How about charging higher medical fees and adding a tax for people who are obese....How about airlines strictly enforcing weight restrictions and paying extra "fat" taxes on their tickets when they are forced to purchase 2 seats... The list goes on. The ironic thing about this is that the government (our new mommy and daddy) think it's perfectly fine for us to drink beverages with all types of artificial sweeteners - which can lead to cancer in some cases.

Solution: Eliminate 75% of the government positions...stop the bailouts...let's not build any more billion dollar "embassies, cough cough" in Iraq, or any other place in the world...place more restrictions and controls on unions...stop unlimited welfare...close the borders (then -- all the jobless people on welfare who complain that there are no jobs can take all the gardening and restaurant jobs that will be open)...bring jobs and manufacturing back home - making less financial demands on them....and let's start fixing OUR country before we dabble in anyone else's OBESITY issues...and taxing them. Just an opinion...

[roghil]

A nutritionist will tell you there is no difference between consuming sugar from soda's and sugar from fruit juices. It is still sugar. Why don't we just tax sugar?

And by the way. When cigarettes were taxed, it was only a matter of time until fast foods start getting taxed. It isn't about health, it is about revenue.

[lpgideon]

Forget the taxation. How about this for an idea, then we will not have to hear about taxes again. Just allow us to keep 20% of our income each year, and call it our tax on the privilege of working. then the feds and states can no longer tax us for anything.

[lpgideon]

Forget the taxation. How about this for an idea, then we will not have to hear about taxes again. Just allow us to keep 20% of our income each year, and call it our tax on the privilege of working. then the feds and states can no longer tax us for anything.

[rocketjl]

These experts are stepping out of their field. Now they are talking about more taxes and we have enough people doing that. Seems their fields of expertise in in the medical world and everybody is an economic expert, ask my wife. Still, these are the medical people who gouge and make millions by ripping off tax and private dollars. I don't know what is worse, giving all my money to Congress and the medical community, or just to get fat and enjoy what little life I have left.

[rocketjl]

These nutrition and economics experts are experts at what? Sounds more like they are tax experts if they thought that a tax of 1 cent per ounce is a good thing. You noticed that it is not just sodas, it is anything that has been sweetened (and other sweetened beverages). I already pay 8% on everything at the grocery store. Backlash may put people out of work and take money out of poor people's pockets. So, are they nutrition and economics experts or Congressional tax experts? Don't you dare think about taxing booze, which kills and maims people. That is un-Congressional.

[rf35]

If they are going to tax my diet sodas (maybe it's just me, but I lost weight when I switched and do not crave sweets/fattening foods when drinking one) then they need to include other drinks, too. Crystal Light, sugar-free Kool-Ade, flavored waters...heck, tax all sweetened drinks regardless of sugar content. If they tax diet soda, I'll just switch to other low-cal sweetened beverages. These rat-b@st@rds are after any excuse to tax people. I saw this kind of cr@p coming when they started taxing the heck out of cigarettes. Just watch...before long, they'll tax food based on it's fat content. One cent per gram of fat sounds about right. Maybe an extra cent per gram of saturated fat!

[lewbu10]

A tax on soda pop is just a stealth way of raising taxes.There are so many revenue shortfalls that all lawmakers are looking for sneaky ways to gouge the populace. As for taxing pop for people to lose weight, that is pure bull. People will just get their sugar from somewhere else. I am beginning to think the New England Journal of Medicine is beginning to be used as a propaganda tool.

[rocketjl]

No smoking sodas. (ha-ha-ha) They blew smoke into peoples ears for all these years about smoking and now it is soda pop's turn. Agree that smoking, salt, sodas, and red heads are bad for my health, but don't always believe what they tell you. There were as many or more studies that said second-hand smoke does not affect someones health. Now, we'll hear claims on everything about sodas, from obesity to trash people injuring their backs from picking up cans. Most we will hear will not be true, but Congress does not care about that, just more tax money to spend.

[ctrexler03]

I say tax the hell out of it.

[txlakeside]

If they ever figure out how to tax the racism, hatred, stupidity and total lack of concern for their fellow man the republiCONS would soon be broke. Yep ... we need a redneck tax. If you gripe about public health care yet have never been out of your state or this country you pay 1% of your salary. If you gripe about GOV helathcare as being communistic yet have parents using Medicade you pay 1% of your salary. If you gripe about needing less government but use the constitution as an argument for "anything" you pay 1% of your salary. If you complain about GOV regulations and lost over $100 due to the stock market crash you pay 1% of your salary. If you have ever complained about the price of gas but still drive an SUV, Pickup or Hummer you pay 1% of your salary. The republiCONS stupidity alone would bring a wind fall to America!

[gandaulf2001]

Why does the author of this story call those people experts? I think I am the expert. Ban the cola makers from putting caffeine in the the soda and I'm sure the consumption of soda will decrease by 99%. And now your obesity problems are over and it don't cost the tax payers a penny.

[gunownerdan]

Most sodas have no caffiene so your idea is not going to work.
People drink too much soda and get fat because they have not been properly educated on good nutrition by their parents and/or teachers at a young age.

[gunownerdan]

We need to regulate and TAX MARIJUANA.
Then maybe the country can make a few billion dollars per year while those dangerous drug cartels will need to find another way to make money!
www.LEAP.cc

[gunownerdan]

Taxed

Enough

Already

! ! ! !

[Seekit1]

Stop listening to these so called Experts ,They may be right about the Health thing but they are not looking past their noses.The Goverment Loves Taxs .So yes let them tax Soda ,what next all Juices that have any Sugar ,I do not like Lemonade with out some Sugar.Then any food with any sugar.Have they Figured out yet that to much Salt is no good .So tax everything with Salt in it.How about Butter the list goes on and on Even Water Drinking to much at one time has killed People ,so Tax that TOO.

[ddaryl1]

Sounds like a great idea.. Soda is a luxury item and offer NO nutritional value. It is causing a increase in health caost, and the it coorelates to the increase of diabetes in this country.


You don't have ot drink it so its a choice, and this would be a good place to raise revenue, because peopel can choose not to drink it and to not pay the tax

[bronco602]

Why don't we tax people that sit on the computer all day and don't exercise!

[thinkharder-]

Do you realize that most soda, coca cola included, has a pH of somewhere around 2? If I had to store it in my lab, by law it would have to be stored and labeled as a corrosive.

Drink up fatties!!

[platteman]

Tax Stupidity, now that is a novel idea. We wouldn't have any budget deficets after that. Congress is so stupid, they could pay for it all. The if we tax the Potus and all his merry men and women, czars and such, we would have enough to give money back to all the people, legal and illegal.

[ononotagain]

Change you can believe in! Change is all you'll have left after you finish paying all the Obama-Reid-Pelosi taxes....