A Bill to Tax Sodas
A measure that levies a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, syrup and powder will be heard Feb. 13 in Senate Health. The bill is sponsored by Sens. Josh Green, Maile Shimabukuro and Roz Baker, who all sit on Senate Health (Green is the chair).
Bill excerpt:
The legislature finds that taxing soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages can lead to a reduction in overall consumption, according to a scientific study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in March 2010. The study found that a ten per cent tax on soda led to a seven per cent reduction in calories from soft drinks. Study researchers believe that an eighteen per cent tax on these foods could cut daily intake by fifty-six calories per person, resulting in a weight loss of five pounds per person per year.
Revenues generated by the tax would be deposited into a community health centers special fund and a trauma system special fund. Read Civil Beat’s article on the connection between sodas and obesity.
