Can Small Soda Tax Nip Obesity? Fat Chance

[Midnight Mike]

01-April-2010

Small taxes on soda do little to reduce soft drink consumption or prevent childhood obesity, but larger levies probably would, according to new research.

The study is being released as a recent wave of proposals would raise soda taxes or create new ones on sugared beverages. But they'll have to be a lot steeper than current taxes, which are generally 4 percent or less, said Roland Sturm, lead author of the new research.

"Small taxes will not prevent obesity," said Sturm, a senior economist at the Rand Corp. in Santa Monica, Calif.

Taxes don't work. What does work is balancing the diet and exercise," he said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/ ... 3297.shtml (http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/04/01/health/main6353297.shtml)

[NIKV69]

I tend to agree, in CA there is a big firestorm about the vote this November to legalize marijuana. Some are making the argument that price is the sole reason kids use pot and legalizing it will make it so cheap that many more will use. I don't buy it. You can tax it heavily like cigarettes and it does little to stop people from using it. I know people that smoke and they pay 7 - 8 bucks a pack. They don't stop because it gets expensive. If people want sugar, pot or cigarettes they are going to pay whatever.

[bonanzabucks]

I tend to agree, in CA there is a big firestorm about the vote this November to legalize marijuana. Some are making the argument that price is the sole reason kids use pot and legalizing it will make it so cheap that many more will use. I don't buy it. You can tax it heavily like cigarettes and it does little to stop people from using it. I know people that smoke and they pay 7 - 8 bucks a pack. They don't stop because it gets expensive. If people want sugar, pot or cigarettes they are going to pay whatever.

I can't comment for soda, but I was a pack a day smoker until prices shot up. While I still smoke, it's not nearly enough compared to before. Price had just about everything to do with it.

[Bellucciman]

It's got nothing to do with wellness, it's all about GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER THE PEOPLE!

[Idlewild]

It ain't gonna cure ****. If NYS was serious about the health effects of soda they'd ban it. I'd even respect the tax if the money was put into diabetic care and/or research. Taxing is there way of gouging more money out of us to finance the MTA (and the like) and their pockets.