Sugary drink tax Sugary drink tax A sugary drink tax or soda tax is a tax or surcharge designed to reduce consumption of drinks with added sugar. Drinks covered under a soda tax often include carbonated soft drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks. The tax is a matter of public debate in many countries and beverage producers like Coca-Cola often oppose it. Advocates such as national medical associations and the World Health Organization promote the tax as an example of Pigovian taxation, aimed to discourage unhealthy diets and offset the growing economic costs of obesity. Type II diabetes is a growing health concern
Benzene in soft drinks a particular individual (see, for example, the EPA IRIS document on benzene). The UK Food Standards Agency has stated that people would need to drink at least 20 litres (5.5 gal) per day of a drink containing benzene at 10 μg to equal the amount of benzene they would breathe from city air every day. Daily personal exposure to benzene is determined by adding exposure from all sources. In 1990, a study reported having found benzene in bottles of Perrier for sale in the United States, resulting in a voluntary product recall. In the early 1990s, the soft drink industry