Soda Drinks

Critics say the soda industry behaves much like the tobacco industry yesterday that the sale of soft drinks for children, claiming the products are safe or less safe, and lobbying heavily to prevent change.



The main counter of the industry is that there are big differences between cigarettes and the products they sell. They argue that, in moderation, soda is not dangerous or addictive.



However, the "average" American drinks about 50 gallons of soda per year. It is hardly moderate by any measure. When you consider that the averages are obtained by combining the high and low rates of consumption. This means that, fundamentally, that half the people who drink soda less than 50 gallons per year. This means that heavy soda drinkers may drink more than 50 gallons per year.



This rate of consumption of sodium is far from being moderate. More and more studies support the idea that drinking soda plays an important role in the levels of childhood obesity explosion, and what was once called "adult" diabetes in children.



Taxing Soda was one option being considered to help pay for health care reform. The Joint Committee on Taxation provides that the tax 3 cents on each 12 ounces of sweetened soft drinks would generate revenues of 51.6 billion dollars over ten years. Obama said that such a tax is "an idea that we should explore. There is no doubt that our children are drinking way too much soda."



Not surprisingly, the beverage industry considers tax soda, even modestly, be a bad idea. Susan Neely, the president of the American Beverage Association, agreed that obesity is a problem, but said: "If you try to manage people being overweight, you need a variety of behavioral changes to achieve balance of power - it can not be done by eliminating a food from the diet. "



Yach, who does not have any data to support its request that those who have stopped drinking soda just want to eat other, equally empty calories to replace the sugar in their soda.



In fact, public health advocates increasingly support the idea of a tax on soda, similar to those levied on tobacco, gasoline and alcoholic beverages. Supporters of a tax point of soda sweetened drinks are the No. 1 source of calories in the American diet, consisting of 7 per cent of the average daily calorie intake, and up to 10 percent for children and adolescents, according to government surveys. These calories, they say, are worse than useless - they are empty calories that simply increasing the daily intake is already too high.



Some states have already adopted small taxes on soda in place. Arkansas, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington and West Virginia, and Chicago imposed a tax of 3 percent of retail on soda. 12 other states proposed tax on soda in 2009, but none have been approved. Mississippi ruminate a bill that would tax the manufacturers of syrup used to sweeten soda, the mayor of Philadelphia is considering a tax on sodas and other sweetened drinks, Whiles New York Governor David Paterson has expressed its willingness to offer a Penny ounce tax on soft drinks in Budget 2011. Below is a public service announcement campaign of mass awareness of soda by the Ministry of Health of New York and Mental Hygiene.



The public health strategy is clearly modeled on the public fight to reduce tobacco use. Dr. Frieden promoted a tax soda when he served as health commissioner. He sees a number of similarities between fights useful to reduce consumption of soda with Tho.