Berkeley voters passed the first soda tax in the nation in 2014, requiring beverage distributors to pay a 1-cent tax for each fluid ounce of sweetened drinks sold to retailers. Measure AA would double the tax to 2 cents per fluid ounce and also ensure the money will be used to fund specific purposes, with 42.5% of revenues going to cooking and gardening programs at Berkeley schools; another 42.5% going to community dental, health and water services; and 15% set aside for oversight and reporting.
Yes Argument
The soda tax is working. In the last 10 years, it raised $12 million, funding 80,000 health and dental screenings and 30,000 community workshops and events. Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages went down while water consumption climbed. But beverage companies have not stopped marketing directed at kids, contributing to health problems like diabetes, obesity and tooth decay. Doubling the tax is about keeping pace with inflation and ensuring the benefits are sustained for the long term.
No Argument
The Berkeley tax may be on distributors, but they pass that cost on to consumers — doubling it will disproportionately burden low-income families who can least afford it. There’s also no proof that soda taxes improve health. The obesity epidemic is multifaceted, and adding a surcharge to sugar-sweetened drinks doesn’t stop people from eating high-calorie foods. In fact, studies show the Berkeley tax only encouraged residents to shop for their beverages outside the city, hurting local businesses.
Key Supporters
In Support
- American Heart Association
- Citizen’s Initiative to Preserve and Strengthen Berkeley’s Soda Tax
- Ecology Center
- Healthy Black Families
In Opposition
- American Beverage Association California