Implementing The Soda Tax in Philly



Now that the city has approved a 1.5-cent-per-ounce soda tax and Mayor Kenny signed the bill in June the process to implement the tax is being revealed. According to NBC Philadelphia, city leaders unveiled a new website to help dealers and distributors understand how they may be impacted by the tax and to learn more about how the taxes work, registration will be available for all distributors online in November. If taxes are not paid on time, distributors can contact the Philadelphia Department of Revenue to discuss payment arrangements. The tax is scheduled to go into effect starting January 1, 2017, and taxes are due each month for the prior month's sales beginning February 20th, 2017. The estimated 90 million to be raised in funds are planned to be used for expanding ...

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Update on Santa Fe Soda Tax Proposal



After many cities, including Cook County, Ill. have passed a sugary beverage tax, other cities are introducing the idea to their city council. Recently, Mayors Javier Gonzales proposed a tax sugary beverages as an "active way" to help fund and support early childhood education initiatives. However, according to the local Local News Santa Fe, New Mexican, the City Council has requested more information. The council is wary of the tax plan, where the Council's Finance Committee was concerned on how the public would just change their buy habits. The Council also  commented on how the city's finances remain fragile, and how they do not see how the tax would generate the projected goal to collect around $10million a year for municipal grants to help fund pre-K programs. However, ...

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Studies Show Sugary Drinks Are Bad For Sleep, Pre-diabetes & Diabetes



Sodas, although not as popular in the United States as before are still consumed daily at high levels in many communities, especially in minority communities. In fact, studies show Latino teens kids have increased their consumption of sugary drinks such as soft drinks, sports drinks, fruit-flavored drinks and flavored milk between 1991 and 2008. Unfortunately, regular consumers of sugary beverages have a 26% higher risk of type 2 diabetes and now a current study from Tufts University reveals that consumers who drink around six 12-ounces of sugar-sweetened beverages a week have a 46% increased risk of developing pre-diabetes, not including other factors. The information for the Tufts study looked at over 14 years of data of nearly 1,600 middle-aged adults and was obtained from the ...

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A Policy And Education Campaign Leads To 20% Decrease in Soda Purchases!



The Horizon Foundation worked together with local community groups including the local health department, People Acting Together in Howard (a faith community organization) and the African American Community Roundtable to create a multi-faceted policy change campaign in Howard County Maryland (6.5% Latino) to help reduce the high consumption and purchases of sugary drinks by consumers. The campaign called, “Howard County Unsweetened”, worked to pass public policy measures that increased the public’s awareness about the dangers of consuming sugary drinks. Sugary drinks have been linked to various health risks including higher risks of diabetes, heart attacks, tooth decay, and obesity. However, many people still include sugary drinks in their diets, in the forms of sweet teas, coffee ...

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Will Santa Fe Be Soda Free Next?



Now that as many cities across the nation have voted in favor of reducing sugary beverage consumption with a soda tax policy, other cities are discussing policy options as well, first up, Santa Fe, New Mexico (51.2% Latino). Mayor Javier Gonzales introduced a resolution on November 10th 2016, for the city staff to find "active ways" of reducing the sugar for many of the residents of Santa Fe. Gonzales proposed a 2 cent-per-ounce tax would he hopes would help the city to provide more jobs and  bring in over 10 million dollars to help fund Pre-K for all children ages three to four. Many communities are educating consumers about the dangers of sugary beverages, which are linked to diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay, obesity and more, but few have stood up to the millions of dollars ...

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Cook County Approves Soda Tax!



Now across the nation soda tax measures are being discussed, or passed, as the most recent news shows four new cities pass a soda tax measure, now including Cook County, Illi. (28.9% Latino). “Research shows this tax will reduce consumption of sugary beverages and, in turn, lead to a decrease in the chronic diseases that are currently devastating our low-income and minority communities,” said Dr. Karen Larimer, president of the American Heart Association’s Metro Chicago Board of Directors. “The financial, emotional and physical toll of  diabetes, heart disease and cancer far exceed the financial impact of this tax on Cook County residents." Measures that help reduce consumption of sugary beverages could help many Latino kids, who, as studies show, often consume more than their ...

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Breaking News: Four Cities All Vote in Favor of Soda Tax



Voters chose health in California and Boulder, where measures were passed on November 8th, 2016 to tax sugary beverages in hopes to decrease high rates of chronic disease and fund more public health programs. Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association said, "From sports drinks to sodas to fruit-flavored drinks, today’s children are drinking their age in these sugary drinks each week. Reducing consumption will improve rates of diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay." In California, support for soda taxes was reported in all cities. San Francisco had support with 62% of votes, Albany with 71%, and Oakland came out with 61% of support for votes to pass a penny-per-ounce soda tax. While measures in Boulder, Colorado, were also supported with over 54 % of voters leading the ...

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Four Cities Will Vote About Sugary Beverage Taxes



November 8th, 2016 is an important day for health advocates and the beverage industry alike as voters line up in four cities to decide on taxing sugary beverages. Sugary beverages have been tested by various researchers and found to be linked to higher risks for heart disease, type two diabetes and more in those who consume these beverages daily and now not only are health organizations like the American Heart Association supporting sugary beverage taxes, but also wealthy health advocates like Michael Bloomberg and Laura and John Arnold. On the other hand, the beverage industries are also fighting back against the taxes, spending over thirty million to lobby and campaign against these tax initiatives. As rising rates of obesity take over the nation, many cities are educating ...

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New Study: Two Sugary or Artificially-Sweetened Drinks A Day Increase Diabetes Risk



Sugary beverages like soda, energy drinks, sweetened teas, lemonades, coffees and fruit juices are known to be an unhealthy daily drink and some say they are becoming the next big tobacco, as researchers continually find their link to elevated chronic health risks. Now new study put on by researchers at the Karolinska Institute have found that not only do sweetened beverages heighten the risk for diabetes, but also artificially-sweetened beverages had similar risks in study results. In fact, higher consumption for these two types of drinks increased a higher risk for type 2 diabetes by 20%. The researchers reviewed over 2,800 Swedish adults compared to adults with diabetes cases, and all results were adjusted for various measures. The results found that possible direct adverse ...

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