By Amanda Vergel de Dios
Proposition E would tax the sale of sugary drinks two cents per ounce. On weekdays, around 3 p.m., children everywhere get out of school and go to the nearest market to purchase whatever a couple of bucks will get them. More often than not, it’s candy and/or a sugar-sweetened drink.
Scenarios like this directly contribute the nation’s epidemic of preventable health problems, which have led to soaring rates of obesity and diabetes in adults and children alike. Treating these health problems is costly to the community.
But when people are empowered to lead healthier lives by eating better and being more physically active, not only do they benefit, the entire community does as well.
Proposition E, a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, is on the Nov. 4 election ballot and is a crucial step in that direction. If passed, the tax could provide up to $54 million per year in revenue for nutrition programs, physical education, healthy-living education, and school breakfast and lunch programs.
As of 2010, nearly a third (31.7 percent) of children and adolescents in San Francisco were either obese or overweight. Evidence-based research suggests these children will most likely carry their obesity with them into adulthood and impact their quality of life if something isn’t done about it. In California, 30.7 percent of Latino adults were self-reportedly obese in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If we stay apathetic to these statistics, the numbers will grow, our communities will be affected, and the already high hospital bills and the taxes that pay for these health ailments will cost much, much more than the 2-cents-per-ounce tax on sugary drinks.
Yes, the predicted increase in soda prices would be about 29 percent and in an already increasingly expensive city, yes, it’s burdensome to consumers and especially small-business owners, who would be hit by it.
But when the issue is that of the public’s overall health, it’s worth it.
Because research suggests this tax would prevent nearly 100,000 cases of heart disease, 8,000 strokes, and 26,000 deaths over the next decade, as analyzed by the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (SFGH) and Columbia University. Furthermore, it could also prevent 240,000 cases of diabetes per year.
In the beginning of this year, Mexico introduced a tax on sweet beverages in response to its major obesity problem, where 70 percent of adults are overweight and 32.8 percent are obese. Recently, a survey was conducted in which Mexicans reported the results of the imposed tax: they were drinking less soda, and linking the sugar-sweetened beverages to a vast majority of health problems.
How can a tax on soda do this? The theory is when a consumer sees a product costs a little more, they either reduce their consumption of the harmful product or choose a different and possibly healthier option like non-fat milk drinks or water. It could also bring more awareness to the toxic effects of the drinks.
The opposition argues for keeping San Francisco affordable, but when we currently pay $62 million a year in health care costs directly linked to sugary drinks and take into consideration the city’s loss in productivity to recover from these health ailments, it’s hard to justify that.
The American Beverage Association has so far spent an alarming $7.7 million on fizzling out the public health measure, including buying endorsements, focusing on the intrusion of personal freedom, and masquerading as supporters for affordable living through television ads.
But consider the societal burden of treating obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Big soda doesn’t care about its customers living affordably; it cares about making money.
There is no simple solution to the obesity epidemic. People make their own choices. People can make better choices, but we need to help them make informed choices in our schools, worksites and in our communities. Voting “yes” on Proposition E will help our community make the healthy choice, the easier choice.