Seattle's new tax on sugary drinks kicks in on New Year's Day

Seattle voters imposed a tax of 75 cents / liquid ounce in the circulation of soda and other sweet drinks (such as sports drinks and energy drinks) in June and similar taxes are collected in some other US regions Did. This is equivalent to 21 cents per 12 ounce can or bottle.

Distributors are required to pay taxes and they expect to pass at least some of the increased costs to consumers

The city tax is exempt from certified manufacturer's diet drinks and sweet products and the world total annual revenue is less than 2 million dollars. Products from certified manufacturers with over $ 2 million but less than $ 5 million in revenue will cost 1 cents per ounce.

Supporters argue that consumption of sugar drinks with little nutritional value and associated with obesity, diabetes and other health problems will be tax cut.

Companies and workers' organizations that oppose taxation think that it will hurt small and medium enterprises and put costs on labor. In addition, other critics say that taxation has the greatest impact on low-income consumers.

Seattle is one of the few cities to vote for soda tax at home. According to Real Food Media, which promotes "Food chain sustainability and fairness", this tax is enacted in 2015 in Berkeley, California in 2015, and in the other seven cities including San Francisco and Philadelphia, similar taxes Is supported. Advocacy group.

Cook County in the Chicago area issued similar soda tax earlier this year, but was canceled in October due to commercial objections.

This month, in Seattle City, a sweet drink tax, which is a new sales tax, was collected for one ounce of sweet drinks sold in the city. Seattle, led by aggressive financial giant Mike Bloomberg, tried to stop consuming beverages that could potentially have a negative impact on health while using the city's taxable power to increase the budget income of the city It was. These consumption taxes are basically backwards for the working class. The less you earn more, less sales than you have for any of your products. Compared to grocery checkers, emerging markets in our regional technology boom will not be like buying more gallons of milk or bread. These taxes are burdening the people with the least power. Wage workers and poor people, mainly colored people, are now pushed out of the city due to rising living expenses.

If so, you are almost alone. Taxation on sugar, especially soda and other sweet drinks seems to be a new trend. Seattle city taxes sugar-coated beverages in the beginning of 2018, Philidelphia imposes taxes controversial on sugar-coated beverages in 2017, other US cities are considering or considering the implementation of taxation. These "taxes" are designed to prevent people from hurting their health by drinking too much sweet drink. In a report on fiscal policy on the prevention of 2015 diet and non-communicable diseases suggested by the World Health Organization, the organization said fiscal policy "has great potential to promote healthy diet". It reduces the economic burden of risk factors and non-infectious diseases. This report suggests that when the price of sugar sweet beverages (SSB) rises by 20%, SSB consumption decreases "proportionately".