Raising Taxes on Sugary Beverages

A commercial that is sponsored by the interest group Americans Against Food Taxes came on the other day when I was watching television in which a rather angry mother was sternly telling Congress that while pennies might not seem like a lot to them, a tax on sugary beverages would financially affect many Americans. This commercial is a feeble attempt to rally average Americans to join the opposition in the debate over taxing sugary beverages like soda and juices. The assertion that such a tax will put a damper on the average American family's pocketbook skirts along the lines of absurdity.

This commercial clearly has an emotional appeal in trying to relate to the average American family that is grappling with the current economic climate today. However, this commercial blows this tax out of proportion. Hypothetically, let's say that Congress passes a law that mandates a tax of six cents for a liter of soda. Let's then assume that the average American family buys two liters of soda a week, every week, for a year. In one year a family would spend $5.76 in taxes on soda. No matter what financial situation the average American family is in, a tax like this is far from debilitating. Really, what this commercial presents is a false dilemma in which it argues that a tax on sugary beverages would be much more of a financial strain on the average American family than reality and facts would prove. Above all, it is important to point out that Americans don't have to buy sugary beverages. Congress wouldn't be holding a gun to our heads while we checked out at the grocery store buying crates of soda. As Americans, we have a choice.

We live in a country that is mesmerized by eating and infatuated with junk food. Therefore, I think a little kick in the ass, no matter how minute it might be, is necessary. There is already a tax on alcohol and cigarettes, why not tax another unhealthy habit? Unlike what the Americans Against Food Taxes commercial purports, a tax on sugary beverages would not be the straw that broke the camel's back as far as the average American family's pocketbook goes. This tax would be a deterrent, not a damper. I think it is important for the government not to dictate the most intimate aspects of our lives, however I think it is imperative that our government exercises responsibility and in that be concerned with the healthy and safety of its citizens. Promoting healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle is important. A tax on sugary beverages is simply a tax on an unhealthy habit, nothing more or nothing less, and a small price to pay to get Americans in the mindset of healthy eating and healthy living.