OK, I know we all hate the idea of more taxes, any kind of taxes, but bear with me here. Today on Vitamin G’s blog, she talked about how last month New York Governor David Patterson suggested adding an 18 per cent tax to all non-diet soda. Just by adding an extra 0.15 cents to every non-diet soda–I’m going to call it ‘pop’ cause soda just sounds wrong to this Canadian girl–purchased the government estimates it could bring in more than $400 million a year. Wow.
Here’s why I’m for this tax and I think Canadian provinces should look into it and not only on pop, I think ALL unhealthy food should have an extra tax.
-They added an extra tax onto cigarettes and it decreased the number of people who smoke. Drinking pop is directly related to the rising obesity rate, especially in children. The average person who drinks one 12 oz pop everyday could lose up to 12 pounds a year simply by quitting their pop habit. This will lead to more healthy people who live longer lives and rack up less medical bills.
-They added an extra tax onto cigarettes and it decreased the number of people who smoke. Drinking pop is directly related to the rising obesity rate, especially in children. The average person who drinks one 12 oz pop everyday could lose up to 12 pounds a year simply by quitting their pop habit. This will lead to more healthy people who live longer lives and rack up less medical bills.
-It’s not a tax you HAVE to pay, you make a choice whether you’re going to buy/drink a soda or not, therefore you make a choice about whether you’re going to pay the extra tax.
-Obesity and being overweight is a problem in today’s society. Fast food/junk food/unhealthy food is cheaper, easier to access and generally more tasty. Maybe people won’t lose weight for their health or appearance but most people will do it if their pocketbook is involved.
I know arguments against this tax are saying, “where do you draw the line? It sounds too much like big brother.” Well it’s pretty simple where too draw the line, foods/drinks that have so many calories/fat etc. will be deemed unhealthy. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to realize that a big mac, fries and coke for lunch is a hell of a lot more unhealthy than a subway sandwich or a salad.
In my opinion, if they’re going to raise taxes on anything it should be something we have a choice about. I’d rather have that extra incentive to CHOOSE to avoid unhealthy food and pop than pay taxes on stuff I don’t really believe in supporting.
So whatdya think? Do you guys agree that Canada and the USA should impose these kinds of taxes? Disagree? Let’s hear it!
***Image courtesy of Google Images***
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
i think your totally right, why not make the unhealthy a little bit more pricey, it will definitly force people to re-think when slamming a pop or ordering a large sloppy burger. The world always talks about obeasity and overweight being a problem, well do something about it, make these things a little bit harder to pay for! i know i would defintly think twice..! you should run for prime minister, id vote. hahahaha…
I have no problem taxing soda, but I do have a problem with the fact that diet soda is excluded from the tax. If anything, diet soda is worse than regular soda because of the chemicals put into it that screw up people’s hunger and metabolism (not to mention potentially causing other problems, but that’s still controversial so I’ll stick with the proven part).
I agree Laura, diet pop should be included in the tax. I have to admit that I love my coke zero, but it’s definitely an occasional treat, once a week or less.
Well I have to be honest that I don’t support food taxes. Everyone has to eat, and for some families all they can afford is the value menues or the “unhealthy” food. But I am torn because there is that large group of people who are overweight and by adding a tax on soda would possibly make them rethink ordering that pepsi. Isn’t there something better to tax anyways?
I personally don’t think the tax is fair–just because we’re looking for quick ways to make money in this state and think finding a fake health reason is reason enough to tax soda doesn’t make it okay. Even if it was all soda. It’s really just silly.
Yes, it’s obviously clear to even the youngest that soda isn’t the best thing for you out there. I don’t think drink soda all too often myself but who is government to tax me for it? I don’t exercise every day of the week–in 50 years is there going to be a fat tax for that too?
Taxing it isn’t going to make it healthier to not drink soda. It’s not going to deter most people. Unless that tax money is going directly into education…it’s not going to do anything good but fix an economic paper hole. Most people will just go “Oh, I’m paying more for this.”
Actually, I think the biggest problem in this is the industry. You’re essentially taxing an industry when doing this–all of the beverage makers. If the tax has the ‘educational windfall’ people are hoping for and people stop drinking stop…we’ll just be passing the economic burden on the Pepsico and Cola to fire their workers and lower their production because one of their biggest markets is now not purchasing as much. They made a product that’s perfectly legal. They shouldn’t be held accountable that the public can’t control themselves from it.
It’s not the tax that bothers me, it’s the high paid politicians who get to decide where all that money is spent. When Canada first installed the GST tax they had a surplus of money that first year. So…….. what happened to that money? They’ve been lowering the GST so that must mean they still have a surplus of money.
Personally I’d like to see them all take a reasonable wage. 500K$ a year isn’t reasonable, in fact, 300K$ a year isn’t reasonable. The majority of the popluation live on far less than 300K$ a year. How overpaid are the politicians? Maybe that’s something that can be looked at before taxes are hiked.