University Of San Francisco Scientists Claim Soda Tax Will Save Lives

A group of scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH) and Columbia University have analyzed the effect of a nationwide tax on sugary drinks and estimate slapping a penny-per-ounce tax on sweetened beverages would prevent nearly 100,000 cases of heart disease, 8,000 strokes, and 26,000 deaths over the next decade, according to The University of California San Francisco. For the full story, click here. 

Editor’s Insight: The beverage industry needs to respond to this report. No doubt, it will be used by soda tax advocates as justification for higher taxes.

Among the arguments these researchers are advancing is that the taxes raised will ultimately save taxpayers money in reduced health care costs. They accept the claim that a penny per ounce tax will reduce consumption by 10 percent.

 This is a persuasive argument, and it requires a persuasive response. 01-10-12 By Elliot Maras