Last Thursday, Philadelphia became the first major city in the country to pass a Soda Tax. With an impressive 13-4 vote, the City Council approved a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages. However, before you start thinking that this is just another attempt by the government to control and change our diets, think again. Many major cities around the country, Philadelphia included, are struggling to raise revenue to fund public programs. So in order to create funds for the community, Mayor Kenney came up with the idea to implement a Soda Tax.

Unlike any other Soda Tax ever proposed in the United States before, this tax is strictly to raise revenues and not enforce healthier habits. In her article for Philly.com, Tricia L. Nadolny explains the tax is, "Expected to raise about $91 million annually to be spent on expanding prekindergarten programs in the city; creating community schools; improving parks, recreation centers, and libraries; and offering a tax credit for businesses that sell healthy beverages." Creating new programs, like a universal Pre-K program, offers the community a variety of positive opportunities. According to Rasmussen.edu, "Making publicly-funded pre-K programs available to all children would also allow thousands of mothers to join the workforce. This means a universal pre-K program could potentially help families spend less on education and also add a second income to the family." By further expanding a universal Pre-K program, working parents won't have to struggle to find care for their young children and the children benefit from a quality education program. Not once has Mayor Kenney mentioned fighting obesity in his Soda Act proposal. Overall, Mayor Kenney believes the new Soda Tax is the first step in effectively fighting poverty in Philadelphia.

While the Soda Tax is not about tackling Philadelphia's obesity crisis, it may help shed light on the danger of drinking sugary beverages. According to Roberta Friedman in her article "A SODA Tax- Will it Change Anything" for obseityaction.org, Sugary drinks are the largest source of “added” sugars in our diets today, that is, sugars that do not occur naturally in foods. According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, more than half of it comes from drinking sodas, fruit drinks, sports drinks and other sugary beverages." Since sodas and other sugary drinks are about 250 calories per serving and contain no health ingredients, consuming them won't fill you up, but it will pack on pounds. Friedman adds, "All those extra calories, day-after-day, begin to add up and turn into weight gain." Targeting products that only do harm to our bodies health is the best way to raise revenue for beneficial programs in the community.

While only time will tell how effective Philadelphia's Soda Tax will be, I am fully on board. Mayor Kenney has created an organized plan that outlines exactly where the money will be distributed. Creating and expanding programs, like a universal Pre-K program, offer the community a variety of positive opportunities that would not be possible without the Soda Tax.