California see a sweet deal

Image via Wikipedia

I like the idea, but don't count on the money going towards obesity prevention. Remember the billions of dollars the states promised to spend on stopping smoking. Most of it went up in smoke within the general budgets.

California lawmaker introduces soda tax bill:

A California lawmaker introduced legislation on Thursday that would tax sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks and use the proceeds to bankroll programs to fight childhood obesity.

The bill, introduced by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez, would slap a 1-cent levy on every teaspoon of added sugar and other caloric sweeteners in commercial beverages sold.

Initial projections from the California Center for Public Health Advocacy estimated the excise tax on beverage distributors could raise $1.5 billion a year, with funds going directly to cities and schools to pay for childhood obesity prevention programs throughout the state.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Soda: A Sin We Sip Instead of Smoke? (nytimes.com)
• Food Lobby Mobilizes, As Soda Tax Bubbles Up (huffingtonpost.com)
• How the beverage industry doused plan for soft-drink tax (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• 'Soda Tax' Wins Health Experts' Support (nlm.nih.gov)
• What Kids Drink at 5 Could Affect Weight at 15 (nlm.nih.gov)

First victory for Obama

It's not a new health plan, but it will help to make Americans healthier.

From the Wall Street Journal: Pepsi, Coke Support Calorie-Labeling Effort

The beverage industry unveiled new labeling plans that will move the calorie content to the front of their beverage containers by the end of 2012, as part of a wider initiative pushed by First Lady Michelle Obama.

PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. were among those to issue statements supporting the initiative, which will cover vending machines and fountain-drink equipment.