 |
Your daily caloric intake soon may not be the only thing that soda increases.
Experts from Oxford University are supporting a raise in the cost of soda by possibly imposing a soft drink tax in the United Kingdom. This stems from the desire to lower obesity and diabetes rates, in addition to decreasing tooth decay rates.
The tax could be as much as 20 percent, which could lower the amount of heart disease-related deaths by as many as 3,000 each year, according to experts. If such a tax existed in the United States, it could save many lives as well.
Denmark and France have already begun utilizing taxes such as these on some drinks.
The need for these taxes stems from the ever-increasing rates of obesity and the fact that the diets of many people continues to get worse.
Dr. Mike Rayner, from the Department of public Health at Oxford University, has suggested that the government conduct independent research to see if the tax makes fiscal sense.
Because of the plethora of negative effects on health, this tax could be considered similar to the taxes already in place on alcohol and cigarettes. If the healthier option is cheaper, people would be more inclined to go with the healthier option based on the price.
|
