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California lawmakers are looking to reduce the consumption of soft drinks and other sugary drinks in the state, introducing various legislative proposals announced Wednesday.
The draft laws, led by five legislators, provide for health warnings on sweetened non-alcoholic beverages, as well as proposals to ban the sale of these beverages in crates as well as the sale of unsealed beverages in cups over 16 ounces.
MP Richard Bloom (Santa Monica) also proposed a tax on sugary drinks, including sweet iced teas, coffees and sports drinks, although details of the exact rate were not discussed, reported USA Today. Bloom, however, has supported a fee of $ 0.2 per ounce in previous proposals, according to L.A. Times.
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Bloom added that the revenues generated by the proposed tax would offset the costs of health care in the state. His bill is also supported by the California Medical Association and the California Dental Association, reported L.A. Times.
"We have ignored this crisis for too long," said Bloom, referring to the number of Californians with diabetes or prediabetes. "We are at the edge of a cliff and the treatment of this health crisis requires a multi-faceted approach like the one you see today."
The American Diabetes Association reported in 2017 that 13.4% of all adults in California, over 4 million people, had diabetes, and more than 10 million people were prediabetic.
The proposals included a tax on sweetened soft drinks, as well as a cap on beverage portions over 16 ounces.
(Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images)
MP David Chiu (D-San Francisco) also compared the soft drinks industry to "the tobacco industry," accusing him of using "tactics to victimize low-income communities". income and the communities of color of our country, "reported USA Today.
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In response, MP James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) called the proposals a "type of government intrusion that people can not stand."
"Californians do not want to be treated like children," he said, according to L.A. Times.
Representatives of the beverage industry say that taxes would be levied by businesses and consumers, especially those in low-income communities.
The "burden of paying the tax would disproportionately affect some groups compared to others," said Steven Maviglio, a spokesman for the American Beverage Association.
The latest proposed bills follow a similar bill proposed in California in August 2018, encouraging state restaurants to serve only milk or water with children's meals.
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Members' bills were also sent the same day, Connecticut's governor, Ned Lamont, proposed a state-wide tax on sugary drinks at a rate of $ 1.5 l & # 39; 39 ounce, in addition to taxes on electronic cigarettes and plastic bags, according to The Hartford Courant.
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