Katherine BiekSoda and other sugary drinks are about to cost more money. That is, if you live in San Francisco, Oakland or Albany, California; Boulder, Colorado; or Cook County, Illinois — all five just passed a soda tax.
The big one is definitely Cook County, which includes Chicago. Its penny-per-ounce tax will affect about 5.2 million residents, which is almost four times more people than the other new cities combined.
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But the most expensive tax imposed so far in the U.S. belongs to Boulder, which approved a 2-cents-per-ounce increase.
A cent or two might not seem like much, but it can definitely add up over time — which is the point.
Let's say you get a 12-pack of Diet Coke each week. That 144 fluid ounces is going to cost you $2.88 in taxes in Boulder. Assuming you buy a pack a week, multiply that by 52 weeks a year, and you've just spent about $150 in soda tax.
Advocates for these taxes hope the increased fee will sway people not to buy sugary drinks, which contribute to health problems, like diabetes and obesity.
After a 1-cent-per-ounce tax was imposed in Berkeley, California, a study published earlier this year found consumption of sugary drinks dropped 20 percent in some areas there. It was the first U.S. city to impose such a tax.
