Effects Of Tax On Soda

The American population has a love of soda. They also have an obesity epidemic and a rising rate of obesity related diseases. Many city politicians have attempted to pass a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in an effort to decrease consumption. However, a soda tax has met with opposition by consumers, some politicians, and the soft drink industry. The tax proposal continues to come up for debate by city officials and public health experts as the nation attempts to decrease empty carbohydrate intake, improve nutrition and reduce diabetes. Taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages would, for the most part, make a positive impact on improving the health of individuals and the nation as a whole. Governments should tax sugar-sweetened beverages in order …show more content…
According to the American Heart Association, drinking just one bottle of soda puts one over the recommended daily limit of sugar (Bittman). Unfortunately, many soda consumers will drink more than one soda per day, further putting their health at risk from the large intake of sugar. In a meta-analysis, soda consumption intake was associated with an increase in weight and a lower intake of milk, calcium and other key nutrients. This ultimately places one at risk for several medical problems such as diabetes (Vartanian). The high glycemic load from the sugar in soda increases the insulin resistance of cells, therefore increasing the risk for diabetes (Brownell). While each individual is capable of limiting soda and sugar intake on his own, it is unfortunately not a choice that is commonly made. As a society, there needs to be a change in nutrition and lifestyle to produce a large-scale effect on reducing soda consumption if we are to improve our obesity rates. Taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages is proposed as a means of discouraging consumers from purchasing this product. If taxes are imposed on sugar-sweetened beverages, people will be less likely to buy them, which will reduce their sugar intake, leading to a healthier …show more content…
The money collected from the tax would go toward medical care associated with obesity-related diseases, nutrition education, and disease prevention. According to the New York Times, the soda tax should work “to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, and therefore obesity, and therefore diabetes, and therefore health care costs, and to raise money for health education about the dangers of overconsumption of sugar” (Bittman). The tax is simple to administer and it can lead to more consumption of water or other no-calorie beverages (Brownell). It is proposed that a tax of one cent per ounce of soda would generate around $14.9 billion in just the first year (Brownell). This money would go a long way towards supporting childhood nutrition programs, obesity prevention programs, and health care for the uninsured (Brownell). City government would be able to use this money to fund nutrition campaigns that would improve the caloric knowledge of all US citizens, much like tobacco taxes are used to fund preventative service campaigns against smoking. Governments should tax soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages and use the money collected to fund education on healthier alternatives and fund treatment for obesity-related diseases, like