Seattle City Council approves tax on soda, sugary drinks

SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council gave its approval Monday to a new tax on soda and other sugary beverages. "The soda industry disproportionately markets sugary drinks to communities of color, especially youth. The tax will be 1.75 cents per ounce on major distributors of beverages such as Pepsi and Coke, sports drinks, energy drinks and other sweetened drinks. "Despite the health claims the City Council uses to justify this new tax, there's actually no evidence that similar taxes elsewhere have improved public health. And these very communities are most affected by the obesity and Type 2 diabetes epidemics resulting from the consumption of sugary drinks.




Seattle City Council votes on sugary beverage taxPhoto: Jeff Chiu, Associated Press FILE - In this Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016, file photo, soft drink...Seattle City Council voted to approve the sugary beverage tax in a full council meeting on Monday afternoon, with a vote of 7-1 (Councilmember Kshama Sawant was absent). As approved, Seattle's sugary beverage tax is expected to yield about $15 million annually to start out. The sugary beverage tax has gone through a few iterations since Mayor Ed Murray introduced the idea during his State of the City address. The newly-approved tax means calls for an extra 1.75 cents per ounce on sweetened drinks like soda, sports and energy drinks. A few of the public commenters who spoke at the City Council meeting on Monday afternoon voiced their support for the tax but asked that the council include artificial sweeteners in the tax.

Seattle City Council OKs tax on soda, sugary drinks

SEATTLE — The Seattle City Council has approved taxing soda and other sugary beverages to pay for nutrition and education programs. #SodaTax passes Seattle council 7-1. "Despite the health claims the City Council uses to justify this new tax, there's actually no evidence that similar taxes elsewhere have improved public health. Below is their statement:"The City Council turned its back today on small business owners and working families with this job-killing tax that will drive up costs and further increase income inequality in Seattle. The ordinance passed on a 7-1 vote Monday calls for a tax of 1.75 cents per ounce on major distributors of beverages such as Pepsi and Coke, sports drinks, energy drinks and other sweetened drinks.


collected by :Lucy William