Tax on sugary drinks is a reality
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
United States
June 17, 2016 7:18am CST
Well, the City of Brotherly Love doesn't love sugar too much. Philadelphia is the first US city to put a tax on sugary drinks. I assume this is meat to cut down on the amount of sodas etc. that their citizens drink.
When cigarettes when up in cost people would say, I will quit before I pay more....that didn't happen. What's a few cents more for the pleasure? If someone wants to buy soda they won't be stopped by a new tax.
You can tax people to death - but they will spend their money how they want to.
Do you agree with this type of tax? Will it force people to be more healthy?
Photo: pixabay.com/en/soft-drink-coca-cola-sprite-soda-986803/
Philadelphia on Thursday became the first major US city to vote to tax sugary drinks, fighting off a multi-million dollar challenge from the beverage industry. At about 50 cents a liter, the tax will apply to sweetened drinks, including those with artifici
19 people like this
18 responses
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
17 Jun 16
Our state has already implemented tax on bottled drinks other than water. I was surprised that those exempt from the tax are food stamp recipients. The tax is "forgiven." I came to my attention when I was shopping for one of my clients who regularly buys soda. I always scan the receipt to make sure that there is no discrepancy before I leave the parking lot. Saw that the tax was forgiven on the soda. Now how is that fair that others have to pay this tax and not food stamp recipients?
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
You would 'assume' they would be more strict on what food stamp people can buy to begin with. This tax is just the city of Philly and it's on almost every drink except milk.
1 person likes this
@ElusiveButterfly (45941)
• United States
17 Jun 16
@AbbyGreenhill they will tax us into the poor house eventually.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
@ElusiveButterfly I don't think I'll live long enough to see that.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
17 Jun 16
I think ultimately the manufacturers of beverages will gain.
They can put 25% lesser sugar in the drink to sell it at the same price, but then the consumers will buy more.
Once they become a sugar addict, they will want to get in the same quantity of sugar, and they will reason that since they are taking in less sugar, they might as well drink more or eat more sugary stuff.
1 person likes this
@scheng1 (24649)
• Singapore
17 Jun 16
@AbbyGreenhill No, they will not. They just have to reduce the sugar content by 25%, and they can retain basically the same price.
The people will drink more because they have lesser sugar.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
@scheng1 They are increasing the tax on those drink that's the point of this...not what the drinks cost.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
If the tax makes the drink cost more I don't think manufacturers will make money, they will lose some.
1 person likes this
.@topffer (42155)
• France
17 Jun 16
@AbbyGreenhill Are fruit juices also taxed when they are natural 
?
?1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
@topffer it doesn't say in the link, but if sugar is added (and some are) that would count.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
This tax is on sugar and artificial sugar drinks...only not on milk.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
You probably eat more cake then the sugar in my one 6 oz can of Ginger Ale has.
@JESSY3236 (22244)
• United States
20 Jun 16
I don't think it will stop anyone form buying soda. I mean there is a special tax on tampons and pads and we women buy them.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jun 16
There is a special tax on tampons? I never heard of that - glad I'm way way way beyond needing them!
1 person likes this
@JESSY3236 (22244)
• United States
21 Jun 16
@AbbyGreenhill yeah a couple of women was trying to put a stop to that tax in NYC (I think).
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jun 16
I'm sure some people are happy.
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (40037)
• Toccoa, Georgia
17 Jun 16
I don't like the tax but we don't buy as much soda as some do. We don't drink it everyday.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
I drink 1/2 small bottle of diet coke and one 6 oz can of Ginger Ale - rest of the day I drink water.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
They can leave the city and shop in the 'burbs' and avoid the tax.
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
18 Jun 16
pretty much, it didnt change a thing
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jun 16
This tax won't change anything either.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (91127)
• United States
17 Jun 16
Although I think this tax is ridiculous I doubt it will stop people from buying sugary drinks. I hope other cities don't follow along with this. They should just add a 5 cent deposit on all bottles like NY does and make their money for school funding that way
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
No it won't stop anyone that's for sure. Deposit on soda, wow, don't think TN ever had that.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
I don't have a clue, I don't live up north anymore so who knows what they have in mind.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
18 Jun 16
Well, maybe poor people need to spend their money on food, not soda.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jun 16
@shshiju But those people are going to be paying more in tax.
1 person likes this
@norcal (4889)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
18 Jun 16
I doubt that the tax will have any effect on people's habits. I don't drink soda or sugary drinks, so I know it would have no effect on me. I guess it's one way to collect tax money by taxing something that is not really essential.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
20 Jun 16
Guess The City of Brotherly Love is low on funds and need more tax money coming in.
@JohnRoberts (109841)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Jun 16
You are correct in that if people want a soda, they are going to have a soda. But don't fall the joke that the government is imposing this tax because it cares about fighting obesity etc. It's a money grab plain and simple. Millions of dollars flowing in. If governments cared about health, then why are so many states dying to legalize pot? More tax dollars to be reaped and squandered. If they can find a means of taxing the air we breathe, it will be imposed. Sick of this pretense that governments care about you and I and our neighbors.
1 person likes this
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
For years I go to the doctors in this state and many of the docs and staff are obese. I asked one doc for a diet plan. He handed me a piece of paper with a pie chart on it. WRONG! Docs don't care if we're fat why would the powers that me in Philly.
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
21 Jun 16
I don't think it'd force people to be healthy. If the cost increases double, maybe but tax is just a few cents. Better for the government..
@Lolaze (5092)
• St. Louis, Missouri
17 Jun 16
I don't think it will make people buy less sugary drinks, it will just create more tax revenue.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
It won't stop me that's for sure...I might drink more for spite LOL!
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
17 Jun 16
i think its a great idea to tax the bad stuff. Some will stop. Canada taxes a lot of things just because they are used a lot including gas...but it pays for our Socialized Medicine. I've haven't paid a doctor in the 35 years I've lived here.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
Tax on this stuff won't be paying for socialized medicine that's for sure.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
17 Jun 16
@AbbyGreenhill sadly that was part of Obama's idea but the republican congress made sure that didn't happen...
@Macarrosel (7498)
• Philippines
17 Jun 16
taxing the sodas won't prevent people from buying them. Maybe they should banned sodas or let the manufacturers stop in producing sodas.
@AbbyGreenhill (45490)
• United States
17 Jun 16
Banning soda production would put a serious hurting on the economy and thousands and thousands out of work.
