California eyes penny-per-ounce tax on sodas and energy drinks to combat child

[Zimbow]

...obesity

By David Knowles / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS


Thursday, April 25, 2013, 4:38 PM

In California, big gulps could soon be taxed in a big way.

A bill that would tax sweetened beverages like soda and energy drinks a penny per ounce cleared a hurdle Wednesday in the California Legislature. The state Senate Governance and Finance Committee passed SB-622 by a 5-2 vote, sending the controversial measure on for review by the Senate Health Committee.

“This is the first time this state committee has passed a bill that would place a tax on sugary drinks and the first step toward stemming the epidemic of childhood obesity,” the bill’s lead sponsor, Democratic Sen. Bill Monning said in a news release.

The bill exempts drinks that contain fewer than 25 calories, and the funds raised by the excise tax would go to the state’s newly created Children’s Health Promotion Fund, as well as programs that combat childhood obesity.

“By taxing these products we will be able to implement programs that will assist in preventing disease among children and begin to address a public health crisis whose rising health costs affect all Californians,” Monning said.

Not surprisingly, the idea of taxing sweetened drinks does not sit well with the soda industry, which spent millions to defeat ballot measures in two California towns — Richmond and El Monte — that had proposed similar sweetened drink taxes.

The Center for Consumer Freedom, an industry-backed group, vehemently opposes the tax-by-the-ounce idea.

“Taxes shouldn’t be a tool for social engineering or an instrument to penalize Californians for doing nothing wrong,” J. Justin Wilson, a senior research analyst at the center, told the Los Angeles Times. ”Residents of California don’t need a Ph.D. in nutrition to tell them that eating or drinking too much of anything is unhealthy. It only takes a little common sense and personal responsibility.“

Despite the recent defeats at the ballot box, a Field Poll released in February found that 68 percent of Californians said they supported the penny-per-ounce soda tax as long as the proceeds were set aside for improved school nutrition and physical activity programs.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 percent of California adults, and 17 percent of the state’s children, are obese.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/nati...icle-1.1327571

[Wickabee]

California is trying to combat a child?
Taxes may not be the way to go for that.

[centrehice]

Astute business. The Canadian Government does the same thing to Canadians with gasoline, Tobacco and Alcohol.

They sell it on OPEC's open market, then tax the H.E. Double Hockey sticks out of it when they sell it to Canadians. Canadians should not be paying 20% more for gasoline than Americans, because we simply have more Oil. Canadians should be paying $1.25 per litre less at the pumps than they are paying now.

You don't want to know how much a pack of smokes are in Canada, you will fall off your chair.

[Wickabee]

Astute business. The Canadian Government does the same thing to Canadians with gasoline, Tobacco and Alcohol.

They sell it on OPEC's open market, then tax the H.E. Double Hockey sticks out of it when they sell it to Canadians. Canadians should not be paying 20% more for gasoline than Americans, because we simply have more Oil. Canadians should be paying $1.25 per litre less at the pumps than they are paying now.

You don't want to know how much a pack of smokes are in Canada, you will fall off your chair.

$9-$12

[mrveggieman]

I don't have a problem with a "sin" tax for alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana if/when it becomes fully legal but I'm not sure on a tax on sugary drinks. If you start taxing non alcoholic beverages were does the taxing stop?

[habsheaven]

I have no issues with this. They are trying to fix a problem. Obviously "personal responsibility" doesn't work.

[centrehice]

Unfortunately many see childhood obesity's outcome. Many people of Mexican origin living in the USA and Mexican born Americans raise their children using high doses of sugar as an actual babysitter.

Mexican Americans are among a very few ethnicities to actually put all flavours of juices in a baby-bottle and feed it to their children. They also use poor substitutes like Orange Crystals, etc. Kool-Aid, and others with abnormally high amounts of sugar.

When those kids are old enough, they simply migrate to sugar colas, and other soft drinks as they are addicted to sugar. The instances of childhood obesity in the USA amongst Mexican Americans is staggering. California has by far the highest population of Mexican Americans in the nation, so noticing this lifestyle behaviour is quite simple.

White Americans deluge their children with soft drinks on demand, as they don't want a child running around that is not their personal friend. They are every bit as guilty.

It's about Parenting and the lack thereof, and not the children's fault in the slightest.

[Wickabee]

I don't have a problem with a "sin" tax for alcohol, tobacco, or marijuana if/when it becomes fully legal but I'm not sure on a tax on sugary drinks. If you start taxing non alcoholic beverages were does the taxing stop?

Well, sugary drinks cause diabetes, just like alcohol. So there's that.

[shrewsbury]

if all the taxes goes for programs to hep children, I have no issue with it.

besides on occasional tea, I don't drink them.

[mrveggieman]

Well, sugary drinks cause diabetes, just like alcohol. So there's that.

Could be but when was the last time that you heard about someone getting loaded up on sugar and killing someone in a motorvehicle accident?