During my morning stroll through NPR, I found an article about a study that taxing soda, a mere $.06 per can, could cut down on the amount of soda people drink each year. Because soda is a pretty significant source of our country’s sugar calories, taxing it {in theory, at least} could lead the average soda drinker to consume 5800 less calories per year. We already know that excess calories from sugar lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, so less consumption would theoretically lead to healthier people.
The study used grocery store sales data to analyze people’s buying patterns as prices fluctuate. It turns out, when prices go up, people buy less. I’m not a mathmagician, but that makes sense. From there, they tried to build a model that would show purchasing trends with a tax increase. Their conclusion: People would, if the data accurately reflects their purchasing trends, buy less soda.
Apparently, many years ago, this same principle was used with tobacco with minutely measurable success. The higher the tax, the less likely people were to start smoking, but it didn’t seem to deter the people who were already smoking.
The tricky part would be actually getting a soda tax passed. There are plenty of lobbyists that would be in opposition, I am sure.
I never really jumped on the soda bandwagon. I prefer my sugar calories to come in the form of a cupcake. 🙂 But, I am curious what you think? Any soda drinkers out there that want to weigh in? Would you buy less if the price went up $.06 per can, or is that just a drop in the bucket…or can?
~Mavis
JC says
I think what is happening is that when prices go up people buy less pop (soda is a dirty word where I come from, lol) AT THAT PARTICULAR STORE. I know I shop for pop wherever it’s on sale for the best price. I’m not buying less pop overall, I’m shopping around buying from various different places. It’s easy to do in my city where there is a lot of competition. Someone always has Coke or Pepsi products on sale. Perhaps in smaller towns people may buy less when the price is raised when there aren’t any other shopping options. I don’t think taxing pop is going to do anything to curb consumption. I think education about the consequences of too much sugar is the only solution, and that is going to take generations before a profound difference in disease is measurable.
Crystal says
I am not a big soda drinker. I’m allergic to caffeine so the occasional sprite does me pretty good. However, my skinny as can be, chocolate loving, potato chip eating, soda addicted husband would not drink even one soda less a day even if the price went up $100 per can. So a tax increase would just increase my grocery bill and that’s it!
Madam Chow says
Yup. This is just another tax to raise revenue. It will not change behavior.
Helen in Meridian says
Since food stamp users are the people whose medical care the government is taking care of, all soda pops and packaged chips, cookies and candy should be excluded. There was a time when real food, bulgar, cornmeal, and other grains were given out as commodities instead of choosing Frito, potato chips and oreos. This would encourage people to use real food, not pkg food.
Tanger says
Why only people with food stamps.One would think.I love water .
Tina says
It will not deter enough people to make a significant difference and honestly I don’t believe it’s truly about peoples health, it’s simply about money. More tax equals more revenue in someones pocket. I do agree Helen, food stamp should not be used to purchase “junk food”.
Cecily says
They already tax soda 9.5% here, and a few years ago they tried taxing candy under the idea that it would help with obesity. That didn’t help one bit. I believe that the latest reports say that every country’s obesity rates went up 5 percent. I think that in our plugged in, 900 channel, computer in our pocket, self indulgent world it is no wonder that we are fat. Education, not taxes, is the key to living a healthy lifestyle. That, and as my DH tells our kids, ‘Get off your butts and go get some fresh air and scenery’. 😉
Mona says
I agree that those who want and like drinking soda will continue to do so. I too shop for sales and will stock up when the sales are good.
Mavis did you see Panera’s announcement? I think you’re going to like this:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/panera-will-dump-all-food-additives-by-2016/
debbie says
5800 calories per year difference isn’t much at all—about 1.5 pounds, or 41 12 oz cans of soda per year—less than 1 can per week reduction—doesn’t seem like much impact
Carol says
Yes, a measly 5800 calories per year seems pretty insignificant. Many people don’t realize that it is the added sugar in all of our foods that is the culprit. It is pretty amazing, when you really read the labels. And of course, the label doesn’t tell us the percent of the recommended daily allowance, as it does for the other ingredients.
Renay says
Government makes these kinds rules in the name of our ‘health’ but what it is in reality is CONTROL. Control over your behavior and control over your money. In this case, for people who won’t take responsibility for their health. What they should do is have your health insurance payment match your lifestyle. Want to smoke? That will cost you. Want to eat like a garbage disposal? That will cost you, too. THAT would make folks realize their bad habits COST THEM. Until people realize that THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEMSELVES, we will get more of this. Off the soapbox and into the garden!!! 😉
Kathy Gervasio says
I saw Fed Up yesterday. All of the food industry lobbies are powerful. I am not sure of the answer but taxing does not seem like it. We need to be informed for sure. The statistics/facts presented in the movie were startling and the impact on children heartbreaking.
Tracy says
I’m all for taxing the junk food with high sugar, sodas and the like. Do I think it will help with obesity? NO! I believe what should be done with that money…..health care….it can help fund healthcare. We (through my husbands job) have to submit our weight, height, cholesterol numbers, glucose etc tests or pay more for our own healthcare. We also pay more if we are smokers…thank goodness we never picked up that habit.
I really want to see the movie fed up then again I’ll probably just get so ticked off at big business…more so than I already am.
Courtney says
I think you would see a short decrease for a little while, then once people got used to it, they would just start buying it at their “regular” levels again. I realized some time ago that I do it with all kinds of food types… Apple prices go up? I gravitate to other fruits for a while… until I notice that prices are not coming down and I go back to buying apples at the new “baseline” price. I think it is human nature to try and find the best “deal”, but when there is no deal to be had you just buy it anyway… unless it is literally out of your budget. That tax isn’t going to make soda out of range of most peoples budget… it will just be another annoying increase to an already high grocery bill. Although Tracy makes a compelling argument to use it to fund heathcare.
Karen at A Glimpse Into My reveries says
I don’t believe an additional tax will result in changing people’s eating and drinking habits. I believe Washington state’s sin tax on alcohol is about 27%? I don’t see any of the new privately owned liquor s stores going out of business!
I, too, believe that food stamps should only be used to buy raw ingredients. Fresh veggies, fruit, flour, eggs, etc. Before I realized the toll processed foods were taking on my health, I used to resent it when I’d see people using their food stamps to buy pre packaged meals, name brand snacks, sugar cereals, etc, when we were struggling by on beans and rice. Now, I’m so glad my kids weren’t raised on crap food! As our income grew, so did our food budget. Convenience food and take out became the norm. Slowly but surely, our health declined too rapidly to just be the aging process! Now I am back to the basics and reaping the benefits of a natural, organic diet!
Has anybody really seen any stats on how the sin tax on tobacco has done? I know family members who put cigarette money aside before budgeting for food. Taxes don’t deter addictions.
Okay, I am jumping off my soapbox and going back out to the garden!
Diana says
I don’t see a 6-cent tax deterring anyone from a deep-rooted sugary soda habit. The 6 cents would be another money harvest by the government, with no assurance that the funds will go toward fixing the problems caused by excess sugar intake. Taxpayers don’t need to fund a soda summit meeting in Santa Fe for gov’t employees and potential nutrition consultants; and we don’t need to pay for the gov’t to fund more studies, meetings and brochures about soda.
Furthermore, if the tax were significantly higher than 6 cents, such that it WOULD affect buying choices, I think too many soda addicts would continue to buy soda, and cut back on purchasing other ‘real’ foods. In other words, their diets (and their children’s diets) may actually become worse.
Brian says
The average can of soda costs between $0.25 and $0.42. An increase of $0.06 would represent a 14 to 24 percent increase per can of soda. While that’s a pretty steep increase in price, I don’t think it will solve anything. Also, what would this tax money be spent on? How is this fair to the soda companies? Honestly, if people just exercise and drink soda in moderation this wouldn’t be a problem.
Fee- says
Woow.. How small is your can of soda if it costs between $0.25 and $0.42? Our can of soda (0,33 litres) costs around 1 euro, which is 1,36 dollars. We have high taxes on candy, soda, ice cream and other sugary treats. I don’t know if it has affected on our health, probably not. We also have high taxes on alcohol, so many people go and buy alcohols from our neighbor country Estonia. We Finns buy third of Estonias sold alcohol. People seriously go and buy truckload of alcohol from there, because it’s so much cheaper than in here. Now our government is thinking of ways to stop that.
This is from Finland, Europe 🙂
Brian says
A can of soda here is 12 oz. I figured the amount from the price of a standard 12 pack on sale and full price. The price of soda outside of America is always interesting. A bottle in England goes for a pound ins some places, yet in the middle east in some countries it can be found for closer to 50 cents. As for alcohol, I know the taxes here are up there, but it’s still relatively affordable depending on your pick of poisons.
B.AD says
Apree with most here on the taxing of soda.s. The old saying…follow the money trail and you’ll see why.
The Food stamp has gotten way out of what it was intended for. Back to the sodas….how will they tax the soda you can make at home yourself?. Which some probably would do then. Growing up…we had the basics to eat…raised a lot of out food.and had chores to do when we came home from school…before we even got to our home work. Had to walk almost a mile to the bus stop…..so we sure got our exercise. Had to carry drinking water/washing …etc from a spring. It seems like a bad life but for many yrs being on your own….it wasnt so bad. We had food/shelter/and our needs were met. No tv./phone/etc. Lots or mot kids then were sim…..not all the today techic’s ….so I guess some life style changes would be good..