Nutrition & Wellness – Biology 50

San Francisco May Soon Charge Soda Sales Fee

October 3, 2009

An interesting twist on combating the growing obesity epidemic is developing.

This fall San Francisco’s Mayor Gavin Newsom plans to introduce legislation that would charge retailers who sell sugary beverages a fee—levying a soda sales fee. The hope is that the extra fees will financially discourage people from consuming a lot of extra, empty calories.

According to the SF Gate article, Newsom only needs approval from the Board of Supervisors to levy a fee on retailers.  A tax on individual cans of soda and sugary juice would require voters’ approval.

Motivation Behind the Soda Fees

According to Newsom, he was  motivated to move forward with legislation for a soda fee after a new study on the relationship between soda and obesity was released.  Researchers from UCLA demonstrated a link between soda and obesity in California. In this study researchers reported:

Adults who drink at least one soft drink a day are 27 percent more likely to be obese than those who do not.

The study, Commissioned by CCPHA (California Center for Public Health Advocacy),  provides scientific evidence of the direct contribution of sugar-sweetened beverages to California’s $41 billion obesity epidemic.

Opposing the Fees

Understandably, the American Beverage Association has fought attempts to implement soda taxes. They released a statement about the new study.

If our goal is to address obesity, then educating consumers about the importance of balancing calories consumed from all foods and beverages with the calories expended through physical activity is what matters – not demonizing any one particular food.

Another soda fee opponent is Jim Lazarus, vice president of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. His group wonders:

Does this mean there’s a fee on candy bars, on ice cream, on potato chips? Where do you draw the line?

It is his belief that the additional small fee, which will probably be passed on from the retailer to the consumer, would not be enough to dramatically change people’s habits. Lazarus believes the the soda fee is just another revenue source for the city.

What do you think? Do you think adding a fee to sodas, in the current economic climate, where people are already counting their pennies, may make a difference in decreasing the amount of soda consumed?

Do you think other empty calorie foods should be taxed as well?

Source:

Knight H. September 2009.  Newsom wants to charge stores that sell sodas. SF Gate.
Dyer K. September 2009. New Research Links Soda to Obesity. Nutrition & Wellness Edublog.

Image: Foxumon. Coins. Royalty Free Use.

Entry Filed under: Health News, Media and Nutrition, Nutrition News, Weight Management. Tags: Adult Obesity, CCPHA, Childhood Obesity, Preventing Obesity, Soda and Obesity, Soda Sales.