I can fully admit it—I drink three, sometimes even four, Diet Cokes a day. We have a fridge full of them here at the Frisky office and my DC consumption is nothing compared to Amelia’s—she perpetually has a small tribe of cans on her desk. So we were both a little concerned when we heard that many public health officials, including one group who just published an article in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine, are calling for a soda tax. Apparently, the idea is picking up steam—53 percent of Americans think a soda tax is a good idea and Barack Obama recently said that he thinks we should be exploring one. “It’s really a double-win,” said Dr. David Ludwig, one of the authors of the New England Journal report. “We can raise much-needed dollars while likely reducing obesity prevalence, which is a major driver of health care costs. In terms of ways of raising that revenue, a tax on sugar sweetened beverages is really a no-brainer.” [ABC News]“Sugar sweetened” is the key here—diet and sugar-free beverages won’t fall under this tax, which makes me happy. But if you happen to be a regular Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew drinker, a soda tax would mean that your beverage of choice would cost you a cent more per ounce. So if a 12-ounce can of soda is $1 now, with the tax it would be $1.12. If you think that sucks, make sure to tell your legislators. [CBS News]
