San Francisco May Become the First US City to Tax Sugary Drinks

09 Jul 2014 --- Two California cities are aiming to become the first in the country to pass taxes on sugary drinks. San Francisco’s city council voted last week to impose a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, while the city of Berkeley is also aiming to become the first in the country where a measure of this kind is passed.

In June, a California bill which required sugary drinks to carry health warnings did not pass in the California Legislature. Also in June, New York’s highest court rejected the former mayor’s plan to limit sales of large sugary drinks.

The San Francisco proposal is for a two-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks. The tax would exclude milk or natural fruit juices without any added sugars. It would need a two-third vote to pass in the election in November.

The Berkeley proposal is for a penny per ounce and just needs a majority vote to pass. The Berkeley City Council voted unanimously this month to place the soda tax measure on the November ballot.

Similar measures have been defeated in California in the past when cities such as Richmond and El Monte attempted to impose taxes on businesses that sold sugary drinks.

Reports state that even those who believe drinking sugary drinks is harmful don’t necessarily believe the best solution is to introduce taxes. There are fears that a soda tax could lead to similar taxes on other foods.

However, a Berkeley city survey of 500 likely voters showed majority support for the tax in April this year.

A sugar tax has also been proposed in the UK by Action on Sugar, as part of an overall strategy to prevent childhood obesity.

"Obesity is preventable if the food environment is changed, yet the current policies are not working,” said Professor Graham MacGregor, Chairman of Action on Sugar. “The UK requires the implementation of this coherent strategy, starting by setting incremental sugar reduction targets for soft drinks this Summer. No delays, no excuses.”