Well they did it.
The Seattle City Council passed a soda tax Monday that will place a new fee on sugary beverages sold within the city.
“The scientific evidence is incontrovertible … sugar-sweetened beverage consumption leads to negative health outcomes,” said Councilmember Tim Burgess shortly before voting to pass the soda tax. “Communities of color and young people are disproportionately targeted by the beverage industry’s advertising and marketing campaigns. Black children and teens see twice as many ads for soda and other sweetened beverages compared to white children and other teens.”
Burgess argued the sugary drinks are the leading source of excess calories and are linked to heart disease, dental disease and other chronic illnesses, disproportionately affecting minorities.
“Daily consumption of just one sugary drink increases a child’s chance of obesity by 55 percent and diabetes by 26 percent,” he said.
The new soda tax places a .0175 per ounce fee on sweetened beverages. The tax is initially paid for by distributors, but the cost will likely be passed along to the customer.
http://mynorthwest.com/653362/seattle-soda-tax-2/
