Taxing unhealthy products

[TheNorwegian]

The introduction of a sugar tax in Berkley has led to a significant reduction in soft drink sales
www.theguardian.com/society/2017/apr/18/first-us-sugar-tax-sees-soft-drink-sales-fall-by-almost-10-study-shows

In my country (Norway) the tax system specifically targets products that are either unhealthy for the individual (alcohol, tobacco, sugar) or for the environment (CO2 emissions, etc.). The more 'unhealthy' something is - the more it is taxed. This way of thinking has much support in Norway. Although people often think those taxes are too high - they still support the idea that it is better to tax something unhealthy (tobacco) rather than something healthy (vegetables).

However, I assume this is not very popular in the US. How do people feel about such "unhealthy-taxes"?

 

[faroukfarouk]

Why is it the job of political committees or bureaucrats to tell people what they should think and eat?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

However, I assume this is not very popular in the US. How do people feel about such "unhealthy-taxes"?

Unhealthy people love unhealthy things,

often , that is how they got unhealthy to start with, and their whole family and many chruches too.

 

[Big Drew]

Why is it the job of political committees or bureaucrats to tell people what they should think and eat?

If I could like this 1000 times I would. This is probably the main reason I'm libertarian. If what I choose to put into my body only harms me then how is it a crime? Or why should I be penalized? Personally, I don't have many vices...I gave up tobacco almost two years ago, and I only drink on occasion. I do choose to eat some not so healthy foods though. But that shouldn't matter to the government. It's my life.

When I was around 18 years old my state made it mandatory that people wear a seatbelt...I always did wear one, because I don't want to be roadkill. But the day the law was passed I was pulling out of the gas station, and had forgotten to put my seatbelt on...I was in the process of putting it on when I saw blue lights. The state police gave me a ticket for not protecting myself....I think that was the moment I realized that the nanny state is stupid. All I could think while sitting there waiting on him to write my ticket was, "Isn't there a rapist or murderer you need to be looking for? But this is how you choose to spend your time?"

 

[Humble me Lord]

In my view, taxes are a sign of "big" government.
Where does it stop ?
In my state, US, already with high taxes on tobacco, they needed a new football ( not soccer ) stadium. Nobody wanted to pay for it, so they raised the tobacco tax by 50 %.
Lets think about that. How many multi million dollar football players use tobacco? Not many.
This is clearly a moneymaker for the state.
I think the majority of Americans are against this type of government policing.

 

[Zoii]

Why is it the job of political committees or bureaucrats to tell people what they should think and eat?

Hi Farouk. This is a case where it helps to have politicians onside. being obese isnt a victimless issue. Those that are obese are far more likely to be consumers of health care because of diabetes, hypertension, stroke coronary disease, joint replacements and heart disease (to name just a few).

The obese are 2.5 more likely to sustain a work related injury or be off sick from work. They are absent more frequently and for longer. So this costs our society massively. And its not a fair cost..for example you buy a flight.... Person A weighs 52 KG and Person B 160 Kg yet they pay the same price for the ticket...So Person A is subsidizing the cost of the extra fuel required to transport an obese society.

The obesity trend shows that obese people tend to raise children who become obese who in turn raise obese kids...in other words obesity has become a generational trend.

The overwhelming cause behind the sky-rocketing trend is the predominance of energy dense foods. The problem with these foods is that they are cheap and yet fresh products can be expensive... so we have created a market that forces choices that are damaging our society.

So reverse it....tax energy dense foods and use that tax money to make fresh foods cheap..... so... you walk into a shop and you see a cream pie and a bannana...how much for the cream pie "Ten Dollars" whaaaaaat !!!!..... how much the Banana "ten cents".....fine give me the banana. Thats how sugar tax works.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

And sick people, with sick habits, "bad company" in the Bible,

corrupts good morals. Take away the bad company,

keep only good company, and good morals returns. King David searched all across the country to find honest people to work in his kingdom. He wouldn't let a dishonest person stay working with or for him.
Odd, isn't it, from threads here and national news too, it seems this country instead of honesty, wants and looks for dishonesty !? Bad habits, bad morals, bad company, to keep company with.

As long as $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is satisfied.

 

[TheNorwegian]

Why is it the job of political committees or bureaucrats to tell people what they should think and eat?

How exactly does a tax on sugar equal telling people what they should think? I don't get it ...

 

[TheNorwegian]

When I was around 18 years old my state made it mandatory that people wear a seatbelt...I always did wear one, because I don't want to be roadkill. But the day the law was passed I was pulling out of the gas station, and had forgotten to put my seatbelt on...I was in the process of putting it on when I saw blue lights. The state police gave me a ticket for not protecting myself....I think that was the moment I realized that the nanny state is stupid. All I could think while sitting there waiting on him to write my ticket was, "Isn't there a rapist or murderer you need to be looking for? But this is how you choose to spend your time?"

So, anything that is not murder or rape is OK? Police should only care about such crimes?

 

[Tull]

Control is the logical end of socialism,if society is paying your bills then society has the right to control you....of course we would never think of applying that to our most cherished activity...anyone guess what that is ?

 

[faroukfarouk]

Control is the logical end of socialism,if society is paying your bills then society has the right to control you....of course we would never think of applying that to our most cherished activity...anyone guess what that is ?

Good post.

 

[faroukfarouk]

How exactly does a tax on sugar equal telling people what they should think? I don't get it ...

As Tull, above, says, it's all about control, control, control...

 

[Big Drew]

So, anything that is not murder or rape is OK? Police should only care about such crimes?

No, that's ridiculous. My point is that only crimes that bring harm to others should be crimes. Choosing to not wear a seatbelt, or smoke a cigarette, or smoke a joint or anything that only brings potential harm to the individual should not be treated as a crime or penalized with taxes.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

My point is that only crimes that bring harm to others should be crimes.

Perhaps good?

Greed is a sin, and no one greedy is in heaven, nor will be.

It is very common in the usa, and not a crime.

It causes a lot of problems, many kinds of harm.

 

[Big Drew]

Perhaps good?

Greed is a sin, and no one greedy is in heaven, nor will be.

It is very common in the usa, and not a crime.

It causes a lot of problems, many kinds of harm.

There are many things that are sin that aren't crimes in the eyes of the government. We're getting into a completely different discussion there. The government's job is to protect the people...not to extort them.

 

[Zoii]

As Tull, above, says, it's all about control, control, control...

If you commit an act that harms society, then society has a right to impose upon you - In this case your obesity imposes harm on society - lets be very clear here - Obesity is a major burden on society and is growing alarmingly. Worse it imposes harm to your children who statistically will also be obese.

So if you harm me [society] I have every right to impose upon you - in this case to make you pay through taxes. If you cant fix your own obesity problem yet expect me to year after year to subsidize your poor lifestyle choices, then I need to be compensated by way of you paying your way through taxes. {not you personally of course}

 

[jayem]

If some type of single payer, publicly funded health insurance is ever enacted, then an excise tax on alcohol, or tobacco products could be rationalized--if the tax proceeds go exclusively to the insurance fund. But it's a slippery slope. The same logic could be used to tax not just sugar, but foods high in sodium, trans fats, nitrates, and anything else linked with illness. Not to mention "user fees" for injury-prone activities like bicycling, skateboarding, and high-impact sports. (Though the fitness aspect may offset the injury risk.) But anyway, the point is that making people pay for their lifestyle risks can become ridiculous.

 

[Tull]

If you commit an act that harms society, then society has a right to impose upon you - In this case your obesity imposes harm on society - lets be very clear here - Obesity is a major burden on society and is growing alarmingly. Worse it imposes harm to your children who statistically will also be obese.

So if you harm me [society] I have every right to impose upon you - in this case to make you pay through taxes. If you cant fix your own obesity problem yet expect me to year after year to subsidize your poor lifestyle choices, then I need to be compensated by way of you paying your way through taxes. {not you personally of course}

Does this apply to risky sexual behaviour and the damage done to children by casual relationships that result in their conception,does this include STDs and the cost involves,if it doesn't don't you think it should.

 

[grasping the after wind]

If you commit an act that harms society, then society has a right to impose upon you - In this case your obesity imposes harm on society - lets be very clear here - Obesity is a major burden on society and is growing alarmingly. Worse it imposes harm to your children who statistically will also be obese.

So if you harm me [society] I have every right to impose upon you - in this case to make you pay through taxes. If you cant fix your own obesity problem yet expect me to year after year to subsidize your poor lifestyle choices, then I need to be compensated by way of you paying your way through taxes. {not you personally of course}

I think to even begin to tax foods using your argument( an argument I find unconvincing but for the sake of argument let us say we will accept it) you would need to show how an individual person's obesity harms society and that the obesity is mainly caused by the particular foods you would tax. I attended a nutrition lecture once and the nutritionist insisted that Bananas were a worse food than Milky Way Bars as according to him the Banana has more sugar and more calories than the Milky Way Bar. That being the case, once you have proven that an individual person's obesity harms society( you ought to also have some sort of clear definition of what constitutes the society being harmed by this individual's obesity) then who is it that should be authorized to decide which foods are causing this harmful obesity. Should the nutritionist that I heard lecture be the final authority? Should a politician that receives funding From the Banana Council be the authority? Perhaps one that receives funding form the Mars Candy Company? Should some group of bureaucrats be so empowered with perhaps some of them considering some future position with a company whose foods were somehow coincidentally not considered harmful by the group or whose competitors were named harmful? Should we rely on the group of scientists that concluded that eggs were bad for us as they are too high in cholesterol? Maybe you want the job so you can weed out all the foods you have a personal animus for?

 

[FireDragon76]

Bananas have vitamins, minerals, and fiber, the milky way bar is just empty calories.