Sin Taxes

The idea of reducing the consumption of “unhealthy” foods and beverages through excise taxes has taken on an added appeal as city, state, and federal budget deficits have soared. But using the tax code as a surrogate for dietary engineering will do little more than punish consumers, many of them lower income, and stigmatize the personal decisions of millions of Americans. Even though public and scientific support for dietary-related sin taxes are lacking, activists and like-minded government officials continue to advocate their adoption at every level.

From WLF's Legal Pulse blog

Study Exposes "Sin Taxes" as Counterproductive Social Engineering Tool

Once directed at controlling the “social ills” of smoking, alcohol, and gambling abuses, sin taxes have become a favored tool of policy makers in their quest to make consumer’s food and drink choices for them as well. With little scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of such taxes and overwhelming economic evidence against them, you would think legislators wouldn’t waste their time with sin taxes.

But with state and national budgets suffering from large short falls, legislators are scrambling to find new ways to raise revenue. It just so happens soda and fast food appear to be on the top of their lists. The popularity of soft drinks and fast food in America has led to a vociferous debate between those who want to defend their freedom to eat and drink what they want and those who wish to engineer the diets of all American’s according to their own personal ideals.

A new working paper from George Mason University’s Mercatus Center, Sin Taxes: Size, Growth, and Creation of the Sindustry, provides a thorough overview of the supposed economic logic supporting the “need” for sin taxes, and further economic and public choice arguments against them.

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Sin Taxes

Rhode Island soda tax proposal falls by wayside

California Soda Tax Idea Foolish on Many Levels

California politicians pursue soda tax once again

Denmark to abolish soft drink tax

Vermont legislative committee shoots down soda tax idea

Court defeat of NYC soda ban paves way for taxing supersized drinks(?)

Polls claim to show Californians "receptive" to soda tax

Massachusetts governor seeks to de-categorize soda and candy as "food" and tax them

Soda tax passes out of Vermont House committee

Poll in California purports to support soda tax

If revenue went to kids' nutrtion, poll shows support for California soda tax

Texas legislator attempts to link soda tax and eduction funding

Mercatus Center studies sin taxes

On way out of office, Washington governor proposes new soda (and gum!) taxes

Are Soda Taxes the Answer to the Fiscal Cliff?

Study Exposes "Sin Taxes" as Counterproductive Social Engineering Tool

From Denmark to California, Diet Engineering by Sin Tax Fails

State and Local Food Labeling and Soda Tax Initiatives Defeated

Overlooked Provisions in Appropriations Bill Bring Sunshine to ObamaCare Health Fund

ObamaCare “Public Health Fund”: Federal Financial Support for State, Local Obesity “Sin Tax” Policies”?

Kicking The Soda Can: Hard Truths About Soft Drink Taxes

Losing More than Weight? How Taxes, Speech Mandates & other Anti-Obesity Policies Threaten Personal Freedom