Nation’s Restaurant News: Five Cities See New Soda Taxes

Election Day not only left America with a new President-elect, but also changes to taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages in multiple states. According to a recent Nation’s Restaurant News article, new soda taxes will be applied to sugary beverages in Chicago, Boulder, San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany, California.

Joining Berkeley, California that added a similar tax two years ago, additional California cities voted “yes” on the ballot for initiatives to apply a penny-per-ounce fee to sugary beverages.

In Boulder, Colorado, a two cent-per-ounce tax was passed after 54 percent of voters agreed on the ballot measure. Now a two-liter bottle of soda could more than double in price, with an increase of $1.35.

Chicago’s Cook County approved a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks, which the Board of Chicago’s Cook County hopes will bring in $224 million annually that will be used to avoid cuts in spending on safety and health programs.

According to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle’s statement, “This tax can play a positive role in important health issues that impact many of our residents — such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease — and lessen the financial burden on our Health and Hospitals System.”

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