Per ounce tax on sugary beverages

Summary



In a story on MSNBC , it tells of a proposed tax per ounce on sugary beverages such as soda pop. It claims that the tax revenue would help offset some of the cost of the proposed healthcare reforms, and at the same time deter americans from drinking sugary beverages that may adversely affect their health. The story goes on to say that it was not passed at this time, because of the hard time the democrat administration is having trying to pass their proposed healthcare bill, President Obama thought it would be a bad time to make an enemy of the beverage industry. Researches stated that the average obese american would lose two pounds per year as a result of the tax, had it been passed.



Response



I can see the benefit of deterring people from drinking sugary benefits, but I don't think that singling out beverages and not the candy makers, snack cake makers, and cookie makers, etc. would be like trying to put a bandaid on a bullet wound. It does not in any way shape or form fix the obesity problem in america, and is more a way to impose more taxes without appearing to raise taxes. Two pounds a year weight loss for someone extremely obese might actually help them ten years after their dead at that snail paced weightloss. I really liked the way the FDA cracked down on trans fat, and I think there should be tighter restrictions on the amounts of sugars that companies are allowed to put in their products. That would be an actual attempt at making americans healthier. As a parent and a consumer, I have noticed that healthier foods actually cost more than unhealthy foods, and is a big contributer to the unhealthiness and obesity in this country. If anything, the government should offer tax breaks for food companies that would adhere to strict healthy guidlines while maintaining a cost effective price for the consumers.