‘Better Health’ Argument Won’t Always Work to Pass Soda Taxes
Philadelphia lawmakers weren’t able to get a soda tax passed on health benefits alone last year, researchers report.
Instead, the legislators had to sweeten the deal with a pledge to fund young children’s education, the study found.
After two previous failed attempts, Philadelphia lawmakers last June approved a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, becoming the second city in the United States to do so.
The new study took a behind-the-scenes look at how the tax was passed.