House Dem calls for tax on sugary drinks

Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) has introduced legislation to tax caloric sweeteners in beverages as a means of reducing obesity and other health conditions in the U.S.

DeLauro’s bill would impose a tax of one cent per teaspoon of sweeteners like sugars and high fructose corn syrup. 

Beverages made from 100 percent fruit juice, nutritional therapies and infant formula would be exempted from the tax. Milk, including rice and soy, would also not qualify.

{mosads}The revenue would go toward federal research on diabetes, obesity, tooth decay and other dietary health conditions.

DeLauro, who serves as the top Democrat on the House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Department of Health and Human Services, argued her proposal would discourage high sugar counts in beverages while funding research to help prevent health conditions caused by poor diets.

“There is a clear relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and a host of health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, obesity and tooth decay. We are at a crucial tipping point,” DeLauro said in a statement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that about 78.6 million, or more than 30 percent, of U.S. adults are obese, and about 17 percent of children ages two to 19 years suffer from obesity.

Many studies have found correlations between diets high in sugar and increased health risks. A 2014 study found that excess sugar intake significantly increased the risk of heart disease, even among people who are not obese. The study’s authors noted that sweetened beverages constituted about 37 percent of the added sugar in Americans’ diets.

DeLauro previously introduced the measure in the last Congress, but it did not receive legislative action.