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April 11, 2006
The Kristof Tax
In a column today on the dangers of sugary drinks that I don't know whether to take seriously, Nicholas Kristof makes the following suggestion:
"Third, we should impose a tax on sugary drinks--5 cents per fluid ounce. One of the most successful health measures this country has ever taken was the cigarette tax, and we should apply the same approach to beverages. All sweetened nondiet drinks would be targeted: soft drinks, iced tea, fruit punch, sports drinks and other concoctions like the 240-calorie Starbucks Caffe Mocha (not counting the whipped cream)."
For those keeping score, if the Kristof tax were to go into effect, it would cost you an extra 60 cents for a can of Dr. Pepper and $3.60 for a six-pack.
Posted by Philip Klein at April 11, 2006 3:30 PM
Comments
The problem with this tax is that it unfairly targets skinny people, who understand how to consume sugar responsibly, and fat people, who don't. What we need to do is sanction fatness directly. For instance, by using skinny turnstiles to charge fat people more to ride the subway. A regime of economic incentives combined with overt stigmatizing will go far in solving the problem.
Posted by: Ben T. at April 13, 2006 8:40 AM
I would support this tax if and only if funds procured from it went to fund humane halfway houses for the mentally ill.
Posted by: heather robinson at April 18, 2006 9:47 PM