High-leverage prevention programs can have three big benefits: generate revenues to pay for health care, promote wellness, and lower health care costs.

A tax of seven cents per soft drink can would raise $10 billion per year to help pay for an expansion of healthcare coverage and help lower obesity rates, reducing the strain that obesity-related conditions place on America's sick-care system. More than two-thirds of American adults are obese or overweight. While many factors contribute to weight gain, soft drinks are the only food or beverage shown to have a direct link to obesity, which in turn can lead to hypertension, strokes, heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and other health and psychosocial problems.

The revenues from a soft-drink tax could help fund health care generally and, in particular, prevention and wellness provisions in health reform legislation by funding programs to promote healthy diets and exercise.

Please contact your Senator today and urge her to support this preventative health measure that could help pay for health care reform, while improving the health of Americans.

Thank you!

Sample Letter for Campaign

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I strongly support a tax on non-diet soft drinks to help reverse the obesity epidemic and raise revenue to help pay for health reform and promote better nutrition and physical activity among adults and children.

Soft drinks are the number-one source of calories in Americans' diets and a major cause of childhood obesity. While many factors promote weight gain, soft drinks are the only food or beverage that has been shown to increase the risk of overweight and obesity. According to a recent study, each additional 12-ounce soft drink consumed per day increases the risk of obesity in children by 60 percent.

The obesity epidemic affects all Americans, including our fellow Mainers. In Maine, 13% of children are obese. Additionally, more than one-third of the Maine population is overweight, and 1 out of every 4 Mainers is obese.

A federal tax of one cent per 12-ounces would raise about $1.5 billion annually; a tax of one cent per ounce would raise about $16 billion per year, reduce consumption, and slow rising rates of obesity. The revenue generated from this tax could help pay for health reform, as well as such health-promoting measures as bike paths, basketball courts, water fountains, and media campaigns to promote healthier eating and living.

Opponents of a soda tax argue that such taxes would disproportionately harm the poor. I believe, however, that soda taxes have the potential to benefit low-income people. For low-income people currently consuming large amounts of soda, such a tax might modestly reduce consumption, thereby enhancing their health. Additionally, if the tax revenues are used for health care and subsidies on healthier foods, low-income individuals would especially benefit from a new soda tax.

Mainers and all Americans have the potential to live healthier, more active lives, and reasonable taxes on soda could bring us closer to achieving that goal. Please let me know if you will support a soft-drink tax.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
June 18, 2009