As long as we are taxing luxuries, why not tax organic foods, almond milk, coffee, tea, stevia, red meat, ice cream, butter, spices, makeup, birkenstock footwear, and deodorant? Hell why not special taxes on everything, or at least everything I dont do.
None of those things create negative externalities to the massive extent that soda consumption does
Organic food undermines cheap wholesome america inc food. Almonds drain water in cali. Coffee and tea are abysmal towards your stomache and bladder. Red meat causes global warming and heart disease. Ice cream is no different than soda. Butter has cholesterol. Some spices exploit local environments. Makeup is tested on animals. Birkenstick is made from animals.
The issue is patterns of consumption, not mere consumption itself. Drinking a pepsi has nowhere near the impact as eating a carton of Rocky road every week. It seems like the choice of which unhealthy thing to ban is decided purely upon cinvenience, not true weighting.
Plus I can never get behind one of thses taxes on "sugary drinks" where sugar free diet coke is taxed but not starbucks drinks with sugar. I often feel like those who want a tax on poor dumb sick people are just too afraid to say so.
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