Sugary drink tax

Sugary drink tax is a tax or surcharge designed to reduce consumption of drinks with added sugar. Drinks covered under a soda tax often include carbonated soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks.

Rationale

The tax is a matter of public debate in many countries and beverage producers like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo are often the major opponents of the tax. Advocates such as national medical associations and the World Health Organization (WHO) back the tax and argue that it could lead to a reduction in the consumption of sugary drinks, which they link to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

Implementation

The tax has been implemented in several jurisdictions including Berkeley, California, France, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. The effectiveness and the impact of the tax are subject to debate among scholars.

See also

• Fat tax
• Junk food tax
• Pigovian tax
• Sin tax

External links

• Fiscal policies for diet and the prevention of noncommunicable diseases - World Health Organization

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  Coca-Cola bottles in Israel
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  Diagram of sugary drink taxes
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  Assorted sodas
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  Newspaper clipping about soda tax in NYC, 1919