Two health experts argue for a hefty tax on soft drinks containing sugar.
They review some studies that show taxes could substantially reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, cut caloric intake and help prevent obesity and diabetes as well as the consequences of these conditions.
“A penny-per-ounce excise tax could reduce consumption of sugared beverages by more than 10%,” they conclude.
One of the authors says in a follow up opinion piece that “the idea of taxing sugared beverages is highly controversial but is probably here to stay. The need for revenue and to control health care costs are just too pressing.”
Read more: News, Yale University, 8 Apr 2008
Read the opinion piece by one of the co-authors.
Read the article: Ounces of Prevention. New England Journal of Medicine, 8 April 2009