Should Soda Be Taxed?

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Do Now

Should soda and other sugary drinks be taxed for health reasons? Why or why not?

Introduction

Soda, while sweet and inexpensive, may not be worth drinking. Sugary drinks can have many negative health effects, including a 26% greater risk of type 2 diabetes for regular soda drinkers (one to two cans per day). And men who average one can of a sugary drink per day have a 20% higher risk of having or dying from a heart attack than those who rarely drink them. The health impacts of drinking soda also affect pre-school children, heightening their chances of becoming obese at a very young age. According to Harvard School of Public Health, one in three children in America are obese or overweight, and childhood obesity has tripled in the last three decades. Should government be involved in trying to get people to reduce their consumption of soda and sugary drinks due to health effects?

In last week’s election, voters in San Francisco were given the opportunity to voice their opinion with Proposition E, which proposed a soda tax of $.02 per ounce. The tax, which needed to pass with a two-thirds majority, would have provided money for health, nutrition and physical education programs, and the hope was that it would also discourage citizens from purchasing unhealthy drinks. Although San Francisco’s Proposition E failed at the ballot, Berkeley residents succeeded in passing the nation’s first ever sugary drink tax–$.01 per ounce–on their similar Measure D.

The proposed soda tax in San Francisco would have equated to a $.24 tax on a twelve-ounce can of soda and $1.36 on a two-liter soda. The tax also would have been applied to fruit juices, energy drinks, and alcoholic drinks offered at bars. Proponents of the tax hoped that the price of sugary drinks would discourage people from purchasing them. Mexico recently implemented a tax of eight cents per liter on drinks containing at least 25% added sugar, which, though not well received by the public, was successful in decreasing the amount of soda purchased. After the tax was put into effect, Mexico’s biggest soda production company’s sales dropped by 6.4%.

Opponents of the San Francisco and Berkeley initiatives were concerned about their right to buy whatever drinks they wanted, without any additional taxes. Also opposed were the market, bar, and soda industries, which would not gain any profit from this tax, but would potentially lose money from decreased sales of these beverages because of the added cost. This left them fighting fiercely against Proposition E and Measure D. And although the Proposition E tax money was supposed to help fund city-operated programs and grants for San Francisco Unified School District’s physical education, nutrition programs, and healthier school lunches, some residents were skeptical about how well this plan would have been executed.

What do you think? Would a sugary drink tax discourage people from buying unhealthy drinks and increase people’s general health? Should such a tax be implemented around the country?

Resource

VIDEO: Sugar Showdown: Vote on San Francisco Soda Tax Draws Near (PBS NewsHour)
As the vote on whether tax on sodas and other sugary beverages in San Francisco drew near, advocates for the tax and those opposed weighed in.

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #DoNowSoda

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More Resources

VIDEO: Soda Tax? (UC Berkeley)
In this short 3-min video, Alan Auerbach, an economics and law professor, discusses the basics of the San Francisco and Berkeley soda taxes.

VIDEO: The Effect of Soda on your Body (ABC News)
Reporter Yunji DeNies visits a lab and investigates how drinking a soda affects glucose levels in her body.

ARTICLE: City of San Francisco Sugary Drink Tax, Proposition E (Ballotpedia)
This article outlines San Francisco’s Proposition E and provides pro and con arguments.

ARTICLE: City of Berkeley Sugary Beverages and Soda Tax Question, Measure D (Ballotpedia)
This article outlines Berkeley’s Measure D and provides pro and con arguments.

KQED Do Now Science is a monthly activity in collaboration with California Academy of Sciences. The Science Do Now is posted every second Tuesday of the month.

This post was written by the following youth from the Science News Team within the California Academy of Sciences’ TechTeens program: Alexander B., Darrah B., Jonathan H., Nora H., Janelle L., Oliver L., Otto L., and Samuel P. The TechTeens are youth leaders who use digital media to develop and communicate science stories for the public.

Explore: Community, Science, Democracy, Health, Measure D, Prop E, soda, taxes, voting

Show Comments (114)

SashaGrinevich

I am willing to share some of my story. When I was little I used to drink a lot of juice. I was a quite over weight then. As soon as I stoped drinking sugary drink my weight dropped dramatically. I rarely drink sugary drinks any more. I actually don’t really enjoy them. I do actually drink drinks with sweetener though. I do think we should put a tax on sugary drinks but I think the tax should be lower. Instead of two cents how about one?
Dayle

The reason people are buying unhealthy options is because people who are living on minimum wage can not afford the healthier option. What we really need to focus on is creating rewards for eating healthy.
http://www.fakewebsite.com PIERCE

Believe me, taxing soda will make no difference in sales or obesity rates. The marketing geniuses at these super-companies have put in decades of work and billions of dollars to make sure that a good portion of the country is practically addicted to sugary drinks. All this would do is create revenue. I am from Michigan, which has the highest tax on drinks on the state level (10 cents a can/bottle). The revenue created is great, but makes no difference in our sugar-crazed society.

THIRD
- Aryanna A.
  
  I agree. Whether or not how high the soda will costs, people are still going to buy it and people are still going to be obese.
19nzel

I think that it is unfair to put a tax on soda. First of all, we cannot put all the blame of type 2 Diabetes on soda. Yes it is a factor, but of we are to tax soda because it is a cause of Diabetes, why not tax everything else that can cause Diabetes.
My second point is that if people want soda bad enough, they’re either gonna buy it or get out. People want soda to get them energized. If they come in and Coca-Cola is $1.29 (which really isn’t even expensive), they don’t buy they’re not going to go get water because it doesn’t make them energized.
- 19jlee
  
  Dear 19nzel,
  We simply cannot just tax everything that causes type 2 diabetes. Starting with taxing a soda can help with the obesity problem. Why not start with something that causes diabetes and obesity first, then see where that gets us. If you want to get energized, I’m sure there are other options that are healthier than soda that can still get you energized.
  I don’t completely agree with the solution of taxing soda because some other problems can come from this, but I think it is a start.
  - 19nzel
    
    I’m not saying we need to tax everything that causes type 2 diabetes, I’m saying that we put all of the blame of type 2 diabetes on soda. And why do we say soda causes obesity? There are many factors to obesity.
19bshe

I believe that there should be a tax, but not to much. If we tax soda to much, it will be harder for homeless people to buy the food and drinks they can afford. But we do need to cut down on obesity, maybe there should be higher traces ok things that have more sugar, plus if there’s a tax, people will buy less sugary things that will cut down on diabetes and obesity.
FreddyJackson

I think that the soda tax is a good idea. When you’re looking for a drink and you see that the sugary ones are overpriced, you probably will go for a healthier option. But I do think it is a little unfair to the business selling the soda. Obviously the bigger companies, such as Coca-Cola, who are actually producing the beverage, have plenty of money and are not going to struggle from slightly lower sales. It’s the smaller retails who are selling it that might have trouble because less people will buy the drink. Also, maybe instead of raising the price of sugary drinks, we could lower the price of healthier drinks.
Natalie

While imposing a tax on our soda will help, I don’t believe it will solve all our problems. It’s been said that in some places with a tax the obesity rate hasn’t changed. There’s more to obesity than beverage choice, what about food choice, or exercising? Instead of punishing people for making a ‘bad’ choice, what if we made things like bottled water cheaper?
naturalist

I think that the tax is a good idea. Because the average teen has a limited amount of money allotted to them, thus they must be thrifty while shopping (besides everything is more expensive in California) thus, they will probally choose something healthier such as water or pomegranate juice. But i agree with what Natalie is saying, that it won’t solve the problem completely but it will help.
Kittens

I think the soda tax is a bad idea. Just let people enjoy their sodas freely. It’s their choice if they choose the unhealthy choice. Everyone knows what it does to your body, and I think that the people who rarely have it should not have to pay a lot of tax on it. Also, the soda industries income will drop, which will effect other places.
- Robonik_Isaac
  
  Although a persons health should be their choice, morbidly overweight persons may put a strain on the economy because they are not as physically capable of productive labor. Someone who is morbidly obese (in excess of about 400 pounds) may not even be able to walk independently. Furthermore, healthcare and insurance companies and their customers lose millions because of treatment for obese persons.
  - Daniel S
    
    Agreed: I think that this is also necessary because education has not helped, and it is draining our pockets.
    A good example of this form of tax-payer health care treatment for lung cancer. I was discussing the the life threatening conditions of smoking, and a person looked up and said, “Smoking is dangerous?” So either we have ignorant or overlooking traits.
19hfil

Ok. Personally, I think this is just plain ridiculous. The government’s job is to protect us and enforce laws, not to tell us what we can eat and drink. Health care is one thing, health care pays for health when people can’t afford it, but putting a tax on soda is making things more expensive. This country is supposed to be free. We’re still working on getting other rights leagalized, and now you’re adding a tax on drinks!? Why?! I don’t get how the government should be allowed to do this! You leave this choice to the consumers. If you want to educate the consumers, great. If you want to attempt to make healthy choices look better, awesome. If a store wants to only sell non-sugary drinks, then that’s fine too! But, putting a tax on sugary drinks, now you’ve gone too far.
- Daniel S
  
  Dear 19hfil,
  So far I see that education of the issue has been laughed at, and that America is going to have permanent health issues that will drill us farther into debt to treat. Besides, a tax on sugary drinks is within the government’s lawful ability. All in all this is a big fuss about a small step to solving American health problems.
  - Robonik_Isaac
    
    I agree with you. Why do people get so aggravated when the government steps in and says “Hey, we need to improve your health. You’ve really let yourself go.” A government should ensure people’s wellbeing, and health is avery integral part of that responsibility.
- Aryanna A.
  
  Due to health concerns in our society, yes, the government is going to take large part in this situation.
  
  All though, they do not have the right to take control with what we put in our body. They do not own us.
  
  And as for this, it should be about self discipline, not about controlling people what they drink.
Joel H

I do agree that obesity is a huge issue, but I don’t think that adding a tax on sweet beverages is the solution. They are a part of it, but there is so many more things like candy, popcorn, etc. that have a big effect on it too.
Daniel S

To make sure that there are no misconceptions, I have a mild opinion toward the soda tax and I will state why.
The idea of preventing diabetes is a large benefit because a fair amount of governmental money goes into treating patients that cannot afford medical care, and help raise more tax money for necessary and burning conflicts, issues, etc. This also would punish the poor, by ringing out necessary money from them. But also it would punish the theoretical 1%. Ideally the issue would heal itself by using the money to help pay for food stamps. Essentially it is a wash, but if this is going to be made a law applying to the entire U.S, time is of the essence because since Conservatives control the congress, (note: I am an independent) so there may never be another chance.
Malik A.

I first of all think that the soda should be taxed, because it is true that soda isn’t the only source of type two diabetes, but is is one of them. What I also think the government should do is lower the price of healthy drinks, maybe instead of putting a tax on sugary drinks, encourage people to drink healthy drinks. A big reason people have type two diabetes is because the cost of unhealthy drinks is cheap, and the cost of healthy drinks are way too expensive.
19dwai the Walrus

Believe me, I don’t like the current health status of our country. Over 1/3 of our country is obese, and the ones with less money tend to be less healthy than their more wealthy counterparts. Why is this? This is because the foods that are healthier tend to be a lot more expensive than it is for one to go get a Big Mac at McDonalds with a large fries and soda. I see where the people who want to put this tax in place are coming from, but I feel like that will hurt the impoverished population in our country. I feel like a better solution for this problem would be to lower the prices of healthier foods instead of increasing the price of soda and other unhealthy food items, because more families will suffer, making it harder for them to buy any food. Overall, I disagree with this tax, because I feel like there are more effective ways to deal with our country’s health problems.
- Batman
  
  I have to totally agree with you. As a vegan myself, which is a person who does not eat any animal products, it is really expensive trying to eat healthy, sometimes we have no choose but to eat at fast food restaurants because it’s cheaper and way more convenient. I would also have to side with the tax though. Besides Michelle Obama, no one else is really making an effort to change the food problem we have. Our lives as American have been made to make it where eating unhealthy junk food that slowly destroys this generation, invisible to the average person because we are so used to it. And although taxing soda may not be the core source of type two diabetes, it’s definitely a start, and we should support it.
  
  Akebalan Etzioni #AJHS Hardee
- SpotlightCAS
  
  Since you have such a strong opinion upon this topic, what are your suggestions to improve our country’s health problems?
  - 19dwai the Walrus
    
    I know I may be sounding to talk about this topic as if it were simple. It isn’t simple at all. The main reason why unhealthy foods are less expensive is because that for the most part, they are cheaper to make. It is a very complicated issue. And even if a healthy meal is just as cheap as a large box of ramen noodles, many poor people will choose the noodles, because they may not know better, they may be used to it, or whatever reason. This is a very hard problem to deal with, and I doubt we will be able to deal with it anytime soon. My point is that I feel like increasing the prices on unhealthy food will hurt the poor, and the wealthier people will most likely buy the unhealthy food anyway.
Kerstyn

I think that taxing soda will not make as big of a change as these people are wanting. I don’t think it will help with obesity! If people actually cared about their weight they would change themselves. If they want pop, there going to get it!! You can’t just blame pop for diabetes? That makes no sense. That’s like saying someone who committed a crime isn’t the criminal. Diabetes can come from many things!! Like sweets, (candy, honey, etc..), meats also. And a lot of other things! You can’t only blame pop? And you can’t blame everything else that can cause diabetes because that’s almost everything. Plus if you go somewhere, healthy food is like 7 dollars. And you can get unhealthy stuff for only a dollar. It doesn’t make a hole lot of sense. If people are going to complain about obesity do something about it. Not just make the tax higher for stuff. Don’t just do that with pop do it with other things to.
- Aneesa
  
  I agree with you, soda is definetly not the only thing to blame for diabetes, but then again, it is a very big factor. Obesity is a growing risk, and while we can’t totally fix it, because as you said, people will pay any price if they want it, but the tax will definetly regulate the purchase of sugary soft drinks. Anything helps, even if it’s as little as taxing one cent per ounce on soda.
angelina

I agree totally with kerstyn.
sun ling

I think that sodas should be taxed cause there really bad for you but i think they should raise the tax ONLY on soda but not Arizona, brisk, and other juice drinks without a lot of sugar.
Aneesa

I think that the tax in soda is a good and effective way to regulate the consumption of sugary drinks. It is, after all, the governments place to work for the betterment of America. We focus on many things such as Ebola, which is not that big of a threat, where the silent killer is passing before their eyes on every shop’s shelves. Diabetes is a growing risk in America, so a tax on drinks is well needed. While drinks containing aspartame aren’t much better, they offer a healthier alternative to sugary drinks contains 11 tablespoons. While pop is not the only thing to blame, it is a big factor. It may not help a lot, but anything helps.
Sneha

Taxing soda is not going to help anyone for a variety of reasons. First of all, taxing will only affect those who cannot afford the $5. People who are better off WILL pay the tax, if they’re desperate for soda. The fact that anything with 25% sugar is going to be taxed, means pretty much everything is going to cost more. Even juices! There is no way that we can just survive on water. The government can tax us, but those who want soda will get it. The only way they can actually stop the public from buying sugary drinks is by literally taking them off the shelves, which they can’t do. That would kill business. The number one thing the government needs to realize, is that soda is not the only thing to blame. Actually, it’s the least of our worries right now. What about those people that eat from restaurants every day, fast food, sweets, etc. Constraining people from something they want, only makes them want it more.
Grace

I think that this tax on soda is pointless. People are going to buy the soda even if there is a tax. The tax will not stop them. Of course, this tax will stop some people such as penny punchers who hold onto every cent but the people who can afford those extra dollars will not let this stop them. This is not going to stop people from buying their soda and sugary drinks. Also, the government cannot force people to drink something. It’s their choice I’d they want to drink these things or not. We need to focus on more education for these types of things. I know people don’t pay too much attention to these and they ignore the, but if there was some way to tell the people without taking away their choices, then that would be more beneficial. The government needs to find a way to convince them not to drinks those drinks and not force them to not drink those drinks. You can’t blame sugary drinks for diabetes. It is everything that surrounds us. Everything with sugar in it. Everything that has fat. America is a society that is growing less and less into healthy foods, and more and more into foods that please everyone which are the sugary ones. Kids and adults both are becoming more picky and some only eat unhealthy foods. It is our choice what we want to drink and eat. But I do think the government should helpby educating not by forcing. Holding someone back from something and making it just out of reach, only makes the consumer want it more.
Robonik_Isaac

I agree with the goals of the people promoting the so-called “soda tax”, but I disagree with the proposed method of improving public health. I will never understand why people react so adversely to their government trying to improve their health. I would understand if they tried to ban soda, but they are not. I think that perhaps the FDA and other government health organizations should focus on improving the health of the beverages themselves, rather than raising prices. Maybe more strict requirements on ingredients and amounts of added sugar and other unhealthy compounds could be enforced. By these measures, soft drinks and even other foods could become healthier for the consumer, (or in the case of energy drinks, less hazardous). Rather than restricting consumer access, perhaps improving the Consumer’s health by influencing the beverage itself would have a higher outcome. People will always drink soda, you can’t stop that. We all enjoy a good coke or a sprite now and then. But maybe you can make the soda healthier.
draco zhao

I think soda should be taxed for health reasons because Americans are known for their unhealthy food/beverage choices. If we taxed soda, the price increase could make people think twice before buying soda. They may be more reluctant to buy soda if it were more expensive instead of how cheap it is right now.
- Andy Ouyang
  
  I agree with you that soda should be taxed. The tax on soda would make it so people think before buying it.
- Brian Regis
  
  I agree. People will think twice and will realize how expensive it is. #agree
Andy Ouyang

I believe that soda and other sugary drinks should be taxed because there are many people that make unhealthy choices. Putting a tax on soda might make it so people buy less of it.
- draco zhao
  
  I agree with what you are saying. I think putting a tax on soda would make people thing twice before buying soda.
- Brian Regis
  
  I agree. People will make healthier choice if sodas were taxed. #agree
Brian Regis

Soda should be taxed for health reasons because people will realize how expensive it will be and they will limit their selves when it comes to buying soda. It will help decrease the chance of getting diabetes and people will be smarter and healthier when it comes to buying drinks.
- Andy Ouyang
  
  I agree with you that soda should be taxed because it can cause diabetes. Taxing it will also make it so people would will buy it less.
- draco zhao
  
  I agree with what you are saying. Many Americans already have diabetes and many of us need to be smarter and healthier when we decide what we put into our bodies.
dan.b

@KQEDEdSpace #donowsota #mrg415 Soda should not be taxed because my food will be more expensive and it will not help fat people they rather pay.I live an active lifestyle.
Jayla Jones

i think taxing soda would be a good idea because it could improve health, but some people would still buy it.
Ada Ouyang

I think sugary drinks should be taxed for health reasons because if the prices of sugary drinks increase, it is likely for consumers to buy less sugary drinks. If consumers are drinking less of these drinks, their chances of getting obesity and diabetes will then decrease. In addition, although some people have been informed on how to eat healthy, they still choose to eat unhealthy food; therefore, taxing sugary drinks will cause most consumers to have no choice but to buy and drink less sugary drinks.
Steve Bloomfield

In Ohio, sales tax (7%) has been charged on all soda products since the 1970’s, because they were declared as “non-food” by the State’s Supreme Court, in a legislative deal with bottlers, to prevent future container “deposits”. Did it reduce consumption, NO. Did it leave our highways, byways, parks and sidewalks littered with plastic and glass, Sure Enough!
http://www.ameribev.org/ American Beverage Association

As we’ve said, vilifying a single source of calories is not at all productive, and taxes and regulations won’t change health behaviors whatsoever. Holistic education that addresses overall diet balanced with physical activity should be the prevailing message, and is capable of achieving meaningful results. Our industry is doing our part on this front via our Balance Calories Initiative, which has set the ambitious goal of cutting beverage calorie intake by 20 percent per person by 2025.

In Berkeley, this was about making a political statement, not enacting sound public policy. Moreover, the vote in Berkeley does not at all accurately reflect how people across the rest of the country feel about discriminatory taxes. Studies show that Americans are not in favor of taxes on grocery items, and this fact is reinforced by the more than 30 states and cities that have previously rejected soda taxes. Bottom line: the vote in Berkeley does not portend a trend… and nor should it.
-American Beverage Association
I.R.

The reason people are buying unhealthy options is because people who are living on minimum wage can not afford the healthier option. What we really need to focus on is creating rewards for eating healthy.
S.H.

I think that soda should not be taxed because too much of anything can be bad for yo, not just soda. Diabetes can be caused by a number of things besides soda so just putting taxes on that would be stupid. There should not be taxes on any type of drink that we put in ourselves, that should be our decision on whether or not we drink it.
L.A.

I agree with this,you cant blame a soda for people getting diabetes,being fat and etc.Obesity is a growing risk, and while we can’t totally fix it, because as you said, people will pay any price if they want it, but the tax will definetly regulate the purchase of sugary soft drinks. but i actually think that the government should not put tax on soda.If people are going to complain about obesity do something about it. Not just make the tax higher for stuff.
Jeff

I believe that the tax is okay. It is a beverage that isn’t healthy, and people don’t need in the first place, so an additional 2% shouldn’t be a problem. The money can go towards useful projects and programs, and might even improve overall public health in the process.
Giovani

Taxing soda is a step in the right direction. Realistically, soda is not the only drink poor people can get. Almost all of the U.S. has access to drinking water. Not to mention how water is actually cheaper than soda? $1.25 for 5 gallons of water vs. $1 for a liter of soda. And taxing things that are only harmful to health is always a good thing. At least it’ll provide more funding for our government. So all in all, the extra tax is worth it.
- Ada Ouyang
  
  I agree with you that taxing soda will lead people to go to the right direction for making healthier choices because people would be discouraged to buy a lot of soda. Also, the extra tax will fund health-related programs.
Gustavo

I believe that taxing the soda will not really help in the case of obesity but it is a step in the right direction to help solve this issue. Another thing is that putting a tax on only soda isn’t going to really solve the issue because there are other foods out there that are high in sugar. All in all I think that this tax will at least start to regulate the purchase of sodas.
Meghan

I think that if these taxes on sugary drinks were added the purchase of a soda, juice or any other type of similar drinks, that it would affect the purchase of how many of them are purchases. I feel this way because if you watched the video you would see that a can of soda that is 99 cents would go up to about $1.24, which doesn’t seem like much but people don’t want to continue spending that extra 25 cents every time they buy it. So they could op to purchase the drink far less often or choose a healthier drink and I believe that either of these would make a difference in our countries obesity problem. And the amount may not seem very high but once you add it all up it is a lot, and it just won’t be worth it anymore. Therefore, the sales of sugary drinks will go down if the tax was set in all stores. We need to do something about our obesity problem, every 1 in 3 is too high and it needs to drop because the number is far too high.
Ulises

I acknowledge that this is a good idea but it shouldn’t be an idea that should be used yet. This is not fair to those who live in less wealthier communities because they are the ones who tend to but these kinds of drinks more like the video explained. I feel like something that would be good is to inform even more than they have already been and get schools to have classes on these kinds of things. One solution can be to lower the prices of healthy drinks because this will seem more appealing to people due to the price. Overall this is a good idea but i think people are not ready for this type of change.
Omar

This topic can be debatable. I both agree with this statement and disagree. I am mainly for this act because this will lower obesity in america. By taxing the sodas more Americans will realize that water is the best way to go. Soda , although not the main cause of obesity, if taxed will change the citizens way of buying beverages and will lead to healthy living. America now is the fattest country in the world and this should be shocking to us, and diabetes is common in american than it is in other countries. Mexico ,as stated, taxed sodas and rates have dropped 6.4%. Although it may not be much but that rate will benefit that country and the people who want to avoid obesity and to those who want to live a better life styles. The fact thought that i disagree is because we are in a drought and if people drink more soda it will benefit us by conserving the water but the result of this will be obesity not only in america but it will spread all over the world and end up with diabetes. If we don’t conserve this water we will have to resolve in drinking soda eventually and the outcome will be the same .But overall i believe soda should be taxed and be spread all over america because this way we can help fight obesity. While this might not fix everything it will be a start to change us and american citizens.
http://nunya.com Veronica N.

I think soda should not be taxed because if it is taxed it wont make any sense. Why would you tax soda if you’re just going to keep making it? You can’t change someone’s lifestyle so why add taxes taxes, they won’t care they’re just going to keep buying it.
Lexi B

i do not think that soda should be taxed any higher. in my opinion taxing soda is not going to stop people from drinking it as much because if you want a soda you’re going to go buy a soda. its as easy as that. also soda is not the only main reason for diabetes, there are bigger reasons to it other than that and it can even be a genetic thing, so taxing soda is not going to do much good for anyone or their health.
- Giovani
  
  I disagree. For starters, it seems the beverage industries were worried about it. But more importantly, the taxes would go towards funding physical education and nutrition programs. So by taxing soda, the fight against diabetes and obesity will get better. A lot better, when you think about how much money these companies make off of sales.
  - Lexi B
    
    Did i ask for your opinion? for starters tell me when you havent wanted a soda and didn’t just go get one? So technically even if they are taxed most people will still go get one simply just to have one. fail.
    - Giovani
      
      I don’t recall ever needing permission to respond. This IS the comment section after-all. Anyways, the whole idea was that the taxes would help fund programs that deal with diabetes and obesity. And with so many soda purchases, that’s a lot of money going towards funding. This is why I disagree with you, because it debunks your claim that it won’t do much for anyone’s health. It’s not to just discourage people from purchasing soda because of the taxes. So I’m afraid you’re the one that failed here.
      - Lexi B
        
        Do you have a life? ha, maybe you should stop trolling peoples comments and replying under them and just write your own. After all there is a discussion box for you to put your own answer and opinion without commenting on anyone else’s.
      - Giovani
        
        I’m sorry, did I strike a nerve?
kyla

I feel like tax should be added to soda’s. I feel this way beacause sodas are not really the best choice for drinks. People who drink soda have a greater chance of getting type 2 diabetes. It would be safer for our health if we tax sodas. Also we shouldnt tax water as much because that would make water the cheapest and best choice of a beverage. Thats my opinion on taxing sodas.
Lindsey Dobbs

I don’t see a point in it. It wont stop people from buying or drinking it.
Maryvel Contreras

The idea of taxing soda is a good idea, it will allow people to start making heathier decisions, it’ll also stop the increasing numbers of diabetes. But it might have a negative affect and allow companies to make even more money.
Kenyeiz

I think soda should not be taxed because. If someone really loves soda they will still buy it. I also think it’s more than soda that causes people to be obese.
Mason Gilbertson

I love pop/ soda I get it almost everyday but I think there doing the right thing with this soda tax. It will help obesity but, not enough. People most people won’t change on there own and America is hurting from it so we need to help obesity.
samoriaa

I think soda should be taxed because it will cause people to make better decions. its saving money and health problems in the future.
Julia Johnson

i believe that even though soft drinks have to much sugar, people can decide if they want to drink them or not.
S.P.

Taxing soda will not stop people from buying soda. Also, if taxing soda will cause soda companies to lose money, then this means that thousands of people will lose their jobs.
MD

I disagree because if your going to tax soda you mind as well tax all other unhealthy beverages
SheaC

Yes, I believe that soda should be taxed because it will make people think twice about buying soda very often. No, it won’t stop them from buying it altogether, but I beilieve that it’ll make people buy it less, leading to a healthier lifestyle.
Moni Fadamiro

I do not think taxing soda will make a significant difference. Taxing soda isn’t going to stop people from buying it and drinking it.
Kate G

i think it should be taxed. Its not a necessity, we dont NEED soda so if you want it bad enough you should be willing to pay a little extra for it. It will encourage healthier habits and is a step in the right direction for stopping obesity
NateG

If soda is taxed it will hurt small business owners who sell soda. Soda might be the thing they sell the most of. If less people buy it because it costs more it might cause the small business owners to lose their jobs.
KJ

I don’t think that soda should be taxed because it wouldn’t make a difference. People who want soda will still buy soda. Even though soda shouldn’t be taxed there should be other more effective ways to fix Americas obesity rate.
Renato Monroy

I don’t think they should raise soda prices because people won’t stop drinking soda and people will always have the urge of drinking soda. People will not stop buying soda if you raise up the taxes. If you raise up taxes on soda there is no reason for raising soda taxes it won’t change nothing but make people want to buy more and more soda.
kirand_19

After a half-hour of arguing with friends with opposite views, one major idea stands out in my mind: we should live in a box. Everything is hazardous, from tornados to hot-dogs (77 kids choke on them each year) to yes, sugary drinks. Those who drink one to two cans of soda per day have a 26% greater risk of acquiring type 2 diabetes. And, one in every three children are overweight. The idea of living in a box is too ridiculous to even consider, but in my opinion, taxing sugary drinks is perfectly reasonable. Not only does this added tax deter adults from buying soda, but it also deters kids with little money from wasting their cash on expensive drinks.
Many people believe that soda is necessary, because they’ve been drinking it their whole lives. However, it has limited nutrients and could be substituted with much healthier options like fruit, orange juice, or even water. It seems silly to me that people would risk their health for two liters of artificially flavored pop, and because they can’t seem to make the decision to choose something more beneficial, the government should encourage them to do so. Also, the extra money that would come from the tax on soda could go to a variety of causes, including the impoverished and hungry.
It’s not exactly good for the country if its citizens are obese or with diabetes, so I do believe that it is the government’s place to step in. We can’t protect ourselves from everything, but soda consumption is something we can change.
Jamal Smith

Truthfully I think that they should tax the higher amounts of soda so that people will consume less amounts of sugar; and if they make the prices higher one the bad drinks then they should lower the prices on the healthier drinks.
Brian Sosnowski

Soda shouldn’t be taxed. why should soda and other sweet drinks be taxed because of our misusage or abuse on drinks. people will still pay for sodas even if taxed but only cutting down very few people such as the poor. but in this case will not make a difference. the pricing on soda is fine as it is already
Brian Sosnowski

There is no need to tax sodas. people will still pay for them but only reducing the poor from drinking sodas and other sweet drinks. taxing sodas will only do a minor change and in doing so will not prove anything or have a success in what the government wants. yes soda is an unhealthy thing but the people, the buyer should know how to use rather than abuse. over drinking too much sweets.
Naji

Well I really don’t care if they tax soda, I don’t drink soda so it doesn’t make a difference to me. Even if they do tax it that won’t stop anyone from buying it.
Austin C.

Taxing sodas will make people change their health habits. People who eat junk food, and drink things like soda and alcohol, are addicts to the taste and the food itself. They will do anything it takes to get what they are craving no matter the price. So, do I think that they should put a tax on soda? Well, that’s a question that is too big for any of us to answer, but I can tell you now. It won’t change anything.
Kahli Baker

No I do not think soda should be taxed. If the public doesn’t want to be healthy, they shouldn’t have to. It’s they’re body, they’re life. Just because you increase the tax of soda’s doesn’t mean anything. They will still buy it. Some people are just addicted to soda’s and don’t care for the price. I don’t think it is a need in it. It’s just another for the government to get more money out of people.
Dakota Williams

I think that taxing soda is just going to make things more bad for people. Taxing sugary drinks aren’t going to stop people from going out and buying them. The drinks may cause health problems, but raising the price isn’t going to stop people from drinking their favorite beverage. It’s bad enough that the drinks cause health problems, but all taxing them is going to do is cause money problems for some people.
Austin Bradley

I think tax on sugar is a repetitive cycle that just keeps repeating, yes it will decrease sells of the drinks because not everybody is going to buy for example a $2.00 soda when it is sitting beside a $1.00 bottle of water. However, for the people that want the soda and have formed a habit out of drinking soda daily, you are not going to stop them from drinking their coke cola or Monster Energy drink. So fighting this never ending circle is trying to fight a losing battle in a war that will never be won.
E.G.

I feel like soda should be taxed because it’s a health risk to people. I heard that cops pour soda on the streets where there’s blood from accidents because of all the chemicals. You should only drink soda once in a while since it’ll mess you up. The acid can create holes in your stomach. If you raise the cost then maybe you’ll get people’s attention. I honestly wish that soda should have never existed.
bkim

taxing soda is good and bad i don’t think it will make a big difference on health for the people
jakethepieceofcake

@KQEDEdspace soda is harmful and should not be sold at elementary schools, becasue kids need to not becomeaddicted. @mrshepherd and #donowsoda
tanyale

I think there should be a higher tax on sodas and other high sugared drinks.It would be an effective way to make people make healthier choices and save money on it too and if they choose the expensive drinks over the cheaper alternative then thats their money down the drain. #bhsknights
- Jacob
  
  i agree with you but some time the heather items cost more thats why i think they buy the sugared drinks
  - bkim
    
    i agree with you but some time the heather items cost more thats why i think they buy the sugared drinks.
Jason Park

@KQEDEdspace
I think that soda should be taxed because it can decrease our life expectancy, become lazy, and lower income.
Le-Li Hollins

I do think that this tax will discourage people from drinking soda. I do not agree on taxing soda though. When I was younger, my parents weren’t making a ton of money, so they bought cheaper stuff. Ironically, the cheaper stuff was the cookies, the snack cakes and sugary drinks like soda, kool-aid, and Hawaiian punch. If healthier options didn’t cost so much, people would eat healthier. Now that my parents have higher ranks, they make more money and healthier choices.
- Ada Ouyang
  
  I agree with you that adding more tax on soda will discourage people from drinking it. I think that in order to make up for the raise in price on the soda, a healthy food like vegetables’ prices should decrease by the same amount to make up for it.
- Giovani
  
  But… it cost around $1.25 to fill a 5 gallon water container at Watermill express station. And it’s 1$ for just a liter of soda. And If I re-call correctly, the official price rate for water is less than 1 cent per gallon in the U.S..
  
  Only the dull-minded would be devastated.
Tatyana Jackson

SODA SHOULD NOT BE TAXED! Even though it’s not as healthy as it should be for you, it shouldn’t be taxed for many reasons. I don’t think that just by taxing it, it’s going to make people stop drinking it more; people love soda!
Alyssa

No, I don’t think soda should be taxed. First of all I don’t see the point in taxing soda because it’s soda, a lot of people are going to buy it anyways. Yes soda can be bad for you but that’s only if you over consume the product. Some sodas for example are worse for you like the darker sodas, but the lighter sodas aren’t as bad. And second it can cause diabetes but that’s only if you drink soda constantly and on a daily basis, but raising the price of soda still isn’t going to stop people from drinking it unless it was an outrageously overpriced bottle or can of soda.
Veronica

I do not think it will discourage people from buying and drinking soda. Soda is not the only reason people can get diabetes. They can have bad genetics that are linked to diabetes or they may even be eating other sugary foods. Soda is also not the main reason of weight gain. Other things like cake and bacon and then giving over-sizes instead of regular servings, even drinking beer or smoking may help. All of these can help a person get diabetes too so we should not just be worrying about soda.
Melody Finley

I strongly believe that soda shouldn’t be taxed. I believe this because they are thinking that only soda is the cause of obesity. It’s not. other factor are at play as well. People have been drinking soda for years. Why try & stop it now. People in poor communities, such as I am, are having trouble getting out because if the neighborhood is bad they are either not allowed outside or don’t wanna go outside for fear they will get shot or beat down for no reason. If they’re gonna tax sugary sodas then they should tax other sugary food. If they do that they might as well have never allowed sugary products in the first place. Next thing you know they are gonna tax candy or ice cream, pie, cake, & much more. They haven’t taxed any food for yeas. Soda has been considered food. Why make one exception? Why start taxing food now? Anyone who thinks that soda should be taxed is either rich, not thinking it through, or just are mean. You all need to think this through. I rarely drink soda myself & I don’t even want it to be taxed. As the adds say, “Vote no on measure E!”
#bhsknights
dan.b

#mrg415 #donowsosa @disqus_SPHP4eMF6r:disqus Well said you could not be more right people are addicted to soda and other thing like that
Taylor C

I don’t think soda should be taxed. At least, not soda by itself. If unhealthy foods were generally more expensive that healthier foods, it could push people to buy the healthier foods. That way, they eat healthier AND save some money. Taxing soda won’t make much of a difference anyways. It’s pretty useless.
Desiree Mendoza

I agree that the tax on sugary drinks would stop people from wanting to buy them, but in addition to that tax they should either use the tax to make the healthier choices cheaper or help out the people who can’t afford it.
Tina Peterson

In my opinion, the government has no right to dictate our choices of what we drink, eat, or do. If this is a tax on sugary drinks that we acknowledge and accept, where does it stop? Chips? Candy? Movie theater popcorn? Processed foods? That is where I see this leading. It is opening a door that will be extremely wide and difficult to close. We should be viewed as intelligent people capable of making basic decisions without penalty of excessive tax to help persuade us otherwise. There are many things in this world that are not good for you or are less than the best choice. In my house, we rarely drink soda, but if the person sitting next to me wants a soda, why would I care? It is just another way for the government to get in our pockets.
Jonathan Williams

I believe that the soda tax should be implemented. However, if we want to make people stop buying it, then we should make the tax enough so that it would appear intolerable for something as simple as a sugary beverage. If Mexico implemented their eight cents tax and there were protests because the tax was so high, we should tax people here high enough that Americans would react just as discouraged. That would get the ball rolling for many more desired results for support to health organizations.
alexus salinas

i do not think that soda should be taxed higher. The reason they say they want to tax soda higher is because soda causes many health problems, and contains lots of sugar with leads to obesity. But i believe its a persons decision if they want to have a soda or not, they know the risk for drinking soda so it their choice.
Bernardo

i think they shouldn’t raise taxes on soda because people really like soda and they are going to end up buying it anyways
jgm2003

It’s not like it’ll stop someone from refilling their drink over and over at a fast food place. Do people realize that this would tax those 1000+ calorie Starbucks drinks too? Basing the tax on ounces isn’t necessarily the best way – shouldn’t it be taxed for each gram of sugar added? Sugary drinks should not be singled out and taxed any extra than any other food. We should rely on people having the freedom to eat whatever they want. And a lot those collected taxes would get taken for Administrative costs and never make it to the health programs. When was the last time you heard of the government of running a program efficiently? Why doesn’t the government just get to the bottom line and tax fat people directly – we have universal healthcare now – force everyone to get a yearly free physical, and charge them a fee based on the BMI. Parents would be responsible for their kids BMI fee too. So, you’re 5% overweight, pay $50, but if you’re a kid, you pay $100 (to encourage parents to feed kids healthy). 20% overweight? Pay $500 or something…go wild! This seems a lot more fair than taxing drinks
Emily Reilly

I don’t like how our country has a high amount of obesity and especially how it is mostly with children. I don’t think that we should tax people on soda and other sugary drinks because its their choice of what they drink and some of those drinks are already very highly priced.People know the dangers and the warnings from all the drinks that they drink.
jaylon bean

I don’t think that it should be taxed any higher because if the raise taxes then soda production sales will fall in years to come
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