Shrek's Tax On Junk Food

Shrek likes to buy a Ski everyday at Dairy King after school. One day, Shrek tries to pay for his Ski, but he does not have enough money. The employee tells him that there is a new “junk food” tax on all fattening and sugary foods in an effort to keep America healthier. At first, Shrek is outraged. He does not understand why his daily soda requires an extra tax. He does not feel like he needs to be punished for wanting a soda after school. He does not know where the extra money he spends is going, and he does not think that the tax is necessary. Thankfully, he knows that this tax will not last because of three important reasons: The tax will not solve health problems, healthier people will get penalized for wanting to buy junk food every once in awhile, and it will be almost impossible to regulate such a vague tax. Planning a tax on junk foods to discourage consumption is undoubtedly unfair and flawed. The first reason why a junk food tax is not a good idea for the United States is because the tax does not solve people’s health problems. There …show more content…
Many people already speculate a bit of a headache for grocery stores to keep track of what is and isn't taxable. Large grocers might have employees to keep track of complex government regulations, but forcing small store owners to sit down and figure out which items are "too sugary" and which ones aren't is a nightmare waiting to happen (Craig). The rules would have to be plainly laid out and very straightforward if they were going to be effective for the shops enforcing this tax. It is also very important to realize that regulating one product, like a specific brand of soda, is different and easier than regulating hundreds of sugary junk food products, it would be too easy to avoid the tax (Luciani). Deciding what would be covered in the tax would not be easy, and there are not many people who are willing to undertake such a