Scientist Calls For Warnings, Tax On Soda
Soda Industry, Researcher Face Off On Obesity DebateA fight is brewing between health researchers and the beverage industry over whether a warning should be put on soda.
University of North Carolina scientist Barry Popkin is pushing for a warning label for sodas and linking their consumption to obesity. He said the nation got heavier at the same rate soda became more popular.
Kevin Keane of the American Beverage Association said it’s unfair to hold one product responsible for the nation’s obesity problem. He said children are much less active now than a few years ago.
Popkin is also in favor of a soda tax, such as the one on tobacco. He said studies involving the links of soda and obesity are at the same stage as studies on tobacco and health problems several years ago, when those warnings were issued.
Keane said linking soda consumption with smoking cigarettes is “absolutely ridiculous.”
Copyright 2006 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
There was also a poll. The whole table thing doesn’t lend itself to accurate copypasting, and I’m not going to bother to rebuild it. The good news is that it looks like people are sane. Except that this probably closely resembles the beginning of the War on Smokers.
Should there be a tax and label warnings on soda pop?
Choice Votes Percentage of 11857 Votes
Yes, it causes health problems 2492 21%
No, that’s ridiculous 8714 73%
I don’t drink soda pop 651 5%