High Tax on Sugar Drinks

The Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity (IAPO) announced the public health and economic benefits of a state tax on sugar-loaded beverages as outlined in a report commissioned by the Cook County Department of Public Health Institute of Metropolitan Chicago.

The role of sugar-loaded beverages in today’s obesity epidemic has sparked interest in policies to reduce consumption, similar to the proven effectiveness of increased tobacco taxes on reducing cigarette smoking. Between 1995 and 2009, the obesity prevalence among Illinois adults rose by nearly 65 percent, from 16.7 percent to 27.4 percent. In 2007, more than one in five Illinois youth ages t0 through 17 were obese and more than one in three were overweight or obese

According to the report, Estimating the Potential Impact of Sugar-Sweetened and Other Beverage Excise Taxes in Illinois, a one cent per ounce tax on sugar-loaded beverages would prevent nearly 3,500 new cases of diabetes, reducing overall obesity-related health care costs by more than $150 million and diabetes related health care costs by $20 million. The report outlines four tax increase scenarios using national and state data on beverage consumption and health outcomes. To read the full report, visit www.cookcountypublichealth.org.

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