Taxed sweet drinks?
Obesity, a plague in the United States. To counter this phenomenon, which wreaks havoc on the American population, the authors of an article in the New England Journal of Medicine (Professors Kelly Brownell and Thomas Frieden) propose to impose a special tax on sweetened beverages such as than soft drinks. This measure would reduce consumption and fight against obesity in children and adults.
This would apply to both traditional soft drinks and teas, energy drinks and sports drinks containing added sugar as well as fruit-flavored drinks.
According to the authors, a tax of one cent per ounce (28 milliliters) on sugar-containing beverages could reduce the consumption of this type of product by more than 10%.
The authors also point out in the article that a study conducted in 2001 concluded that for every can or glass of sugar drink consumed per day, the probability of a child becoming obese increases by 60%. The article also points out that sugary drinks represent 10 to 15% of the calories that American children and teenagers consume every day.
The article points out the strategies for promoting sweet drinks that highlight the energy and vitamins provided by these drinks, without mentioning the number of calories.
A survey of New Yorkers shows that 52% of residents are in favor of a tax on soda. This figure rises to 72% if this money is donated to the prevention of obesity.
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