Would A Soda Tax Increase Pass In Laredo?
By
KGNS News
Story Created:
Nov 8, 2012 at 6:55 PM CDT
Story Updated:
Nov 9, 2012
In an effort to help stop obesity, California gave voters the option to add taxes to soda.
Our Lauren Kendrick joins us with more.
It's not the first city where soda has been the hot topic.
The mayor of New York passed the first ban of oversized sodas in September.
We hit the streets to see what people would think if soda was taxed here.
That sound is refreshing to many, but the price of that sugary drink could be on the rise.
"Personally I don't drink sodas neither do my children unless we're going to a party on a weekend."
Recently voters in California had a chance to vote on the nation's first penny per ounce tax in an effort to fight obesity and diabetes.
The penny per ounce tax would mean the next time you go to grab a twenty ounce soda you would be charged twenty cents more.
"That will help a lot with the obesity, teeth. There's a lot of kids that would rather drink soda than water."
About one third of Americans are obese with about ten percent of the nation's healthcare bill tied to obesity related diseases such as type two diabetes, heart disease and hypertension. But not everyone agrees this soda tax would be a good idea right here in the gateway city.
"I don't think people would listen because coke drinkers are coke drinkers. We like soda."
But one man we spoke to says this should be an eye opener for parents.
"This will make the parents show kids not to drink. I know people whose kids cry and they give them a soda and they stop crying."
