Soda Tax gains momentum

We already know that addressing the obesity epidemic would be good for the economy because it would lower health care costs, but Mayor Bloomberg is approaching the problem from a whole new angle. He has long advocated for a tax on soda - to generate revenue for the city and reduce consumption of the drinks.

According to the New York Times, the mayor started advocating the soda tax again as a way to close the state budget gap on his Sunday radio show. He said, “In these tough economic times, easy fixes to our problems are hard to come by,” he said. “But the soda tax is a fix that just makes sense. It would save lives. It would cut rising health care costs. And it would keep thousands of teachers and nurses where they belong: in the classrooms and clinics.”

The soda companies will surely do all they can to prevent this tax from becoming reality, but it would go along way in keeping New York functioning and reducing obesity rates. I hope it passes.