UPDATE: Berkeley First Jurisdiction in U.S. to Vote “Yes” on a Sugary Drink Tax

Share On Social!

The Berkeley City Council agreed to put a sugary drink tax on a community poll assessing possible ballot measures for the November 2014 election. The poll will also test opinions on a commercial vacancies tax, a business license tax on rental housing, and a bond and tax measure for parks.

The proposed tax is a penny-per-ounce tax on drinks with added caloric sugar which would include sodas, iced teas, Italian sodas, sports and energy drinks, sweetened coffees, and sweetened ice teas. The tax would not apply to milk, milk products, alcohol or drinks that are taken for medical reasons.

Many community organizations support the measure, including Latino Coalition for a Healthy California.

After the community poll of 500 likely voters showed that the sugary drink tax would have majority support, the Berkeley City Council agreed to move forward and vote on the inclusion of the measure on the November 2014 ballot. Read more.

Final approval on ballot language is scheduled for the July 1 meeting of the council.

UPDATE: The Berkeley City Council unanimously approved placing a one-cent-per-ounce soda tax measure on the November ballot. Now it’s up to residents to decide if they want to see a soda tax in the City’s future.

Read about the Berkeley soda tax in the news.

Berkeley High School students report on the looming soda tax showdown.

NOVEMBER UPDATE: Voters in Berkeley voted in favor of the sugary drink tax; preliminary results show around 75% voted in favor. This makes Berkeley, California the first jurisdiction in the U.S. to successfully enact a one cent per ounce excise tax on sugary drinks. For Latinos and African Americans who suffer disproportionately from sugar-related illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, this win is particularly meaningful. Read a statement from the Public Health Institute on this historic vote.

In May 2015, the City announced the new sugary drink tax brought in $116,000 in its first month, which was in-line with previous projections. Read more here.

This story was updated, November 2015.