Do you love or enjoy drinking sport drinks, sodas, even tea? Well, that love may begin to drift away, lawmakers throughout the country are contemplating putting taxes on drinks. Politicians believe that the taxes will help slowly decrease the rates of diabetes and obesity and with the taxes it can help pay for health programs. On the other hand the retailers do not believe this idea is going to work. They think it is unfair and taxes are unpopular. I have to agree with the retailers. If the taxes are incorporated with drinks then customers are going to start buying in bulk.
In 2009 the federal lawmakers made a proposal to use a penny per ounce for drink tax, which is an extra $1.44 for a 12 pack of soda. With the help of this proposal it would help pay for the health care reform legislation. Currently Washington DC and 30 other states are in deliberation about this taxes on drinks. In a recent study by Kelly Brownell who is a director of Yale University’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity, 17 states and three cities have proposed to implement drink tax legislation in 2009-2010. Mary Cheh who is a DC Councilwoman proposed the idea for the 1 cent per once tax. Cheh expected this idea would round up about $6 million to $9 million in its first year. However with the beverage industry opposing this idea, this may force the Council to consider a sales tax. Next week, there will be a vote on the extension of sales tax towards drinks.
Check out Washington Post for full article.
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