“America needs a national sugar tax” – Washington Post
In an editorial, the Washington Post advocates a national tax on sugar as the best way to discourage consumption and improve the general health of Americans. Some 16 percent of the calories consumed by Americans daily comes from sugar added to foods during processing, says the Post.
Britain rejects sugar tax, although experts back it
British Prime Minister David Cameron ruled out a sugar tax, with a spokesman saying there are "more effective ways" of dealing with childhood obesity, reports Sky News. Cameron’s decision came just as Public Health England (PHE) - "the government's own advisers," said Sky - recommended a sugar tax of 10-20 percent, restrictions on advertising high-sugar foods and drinks, limits on supermarket promotion of the sugary products, and calling on foodmakers to reduce the amount of added sugar.
Sugary-drink tax works best per calorie, study says
A per-calorie tax on sugary beverages would be more effective than a tax per ounce, says a study based on the size of the bottle, says a study published in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics.