In NY state, Big Gulps are poised to become the new cigarettes. Health officials say they’re ready to instate a tax on fizzy drinks that contribute to obesity rates; they want to charge an extra cent for every ounce of sugary soda (diet sodas are exempt since they contain no calories). On Monday the city and state health commissioners will meet with Gov. Paterson, who’s previously supported such a tax, to hash out a plan. "This is one good thing we could do during a miserable year in Albany," State Health Commissioner Richard Daines told the Daily News.
According to experts, a 10 percent soda tax would cut consumption by 8 percent and make $14.9 billion for the state in its first year. "It's a triple play. We would reduce obesity, earn revenue to support health care and, in the long run, cut health care costs," said Daines. Last year a similar tax failed to pass the legislature, reports Crain’s NY Business, largely because of pressure from the soda biz, but in sight of state’s fiscal problems, Daines is confident that this time it will succeed. Public support for the initiative is high too: a Quinnipiac study found that 76 percent of voters are in favor of the tax.
