Some 400 Colorado health care leaders heard a call Thursday for a tax on sugared drinks as a means of reducing obesity – and raising revenues.
A tax of one cent per ounce would raise the price of a two-liter bottle by 67 cents. That could as much as double the price of a bottle.
The higher price would prompt consumers to reduce their buying by 10 to 23 percent, Yale University food expert Kelly Brownell told the Colorado Health Symposium in Keystone.
He estimated such a tax could raise $198 million in revenue in a cash-strapped state – something that could make it popular. Brownell suggested the funds be used for programs to improve health.
