Over 30 states have already passed similar bills. Now it is our turn.
The Goal
In his budget proposal for 2013, Governor Deval Patrick included a proposal to remove the sugary drink subsidy. This will generate over $50 million in annual revenue. State Representative Kay Kahn has sponsored House Bill 1697: An Act to Reduce Childhood Obesity by removing the State Subsidy for Sugared Sweetened Beverages and Candy. We are campaigning to make sure this bill is passed and that the money raised is used to fund public health programs to reduce childhood obesity and chronic disease, as has been proposed.
The Who
69% of Massachusetts' residents support removing the subsidy for sugar-sweetened beverages if the money is used to fund local schools and obesity prevention programs. Without your help legislators will never know about this support!
Join us to fight for better health for all in Massachusetts!
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From Governor Patrick's 2013 Budget Proposal
By eliminating the sales tax exemption for soda and candy, the Commonwealth preserves more than $51 M in funding for public health programs while at the same time discouraging overconsumption of sugary foods and drinks.
More than half of Massachusetts adults and almost one third of high school and middle school students are overweight or obese. In the past 10 years, the percentage of Massachusetts adults with diabetes has almost doubled, and obesity will soon pass smoking as the leading cause of preventable death. Consumption of candy and soda is on the rise. Per capita candy consumption has increased steadily since the mid-1980s. Candy and soda add significant non-nutritional calories to the diets of Americans and are directly linked to obesity, especially among children.[1]One bottle of soda contains more than double the recommended daily sugar consumption and accelerates associated public health concerns and costs. The daily number of teaspoons of ‘added sugar’ recommended for a healthy diet and weight is between five and nine; a 20 ounce bottle of soda alone contains 17 teaspoons of added sugar. Such added sugar intake increases a child’s propensity towards obesity by 60%.[2]
The $51 M in new revenue will allow the state to make further progress in innovative wellness programs, and help avoid budget cuts to programs that support health and prevention activities, including health promotion and disease prevention, tobacco cessation, school health, family health and substance abuse services.
In addition to implementing school nutrition regulations and providing parents with the Body Mass Index number of their children, Massachusetts will support various other nutrition and wellness programs such as expanding the successful, evidence-based Mass in Motion municipal health initiative to more communities in the Commonwealth. This additional revenue will also allow for the expansion of the Working on Wellness Program, which engages public and private employers to support wellness programs that will improve the overall health and productivity of employees.
Massachusetts joins 33 other states, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Maine, New York, and Rhode Island that apply sales taxes to soda. An additional 17 states apply sales tax to candy, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Maine, New York and Rhode Island. This sales tax will raise revenue, promote healthier lifestyles and mitigate the escalating costs associated with obesity.
