In 2016, Philadelphia’s City Council voted to approve a 1.5 cent per once tax on beverages. Temple University’s Institute for Survey Research and the BeHeardPhilly℠ platform evaluated the impact of this legislation.
Here is some info on the proposed tax:
- The tax is on beverages with added sugar, and will be taxed at 3 cents per ounce on sugary drinks, and will be effective January 1, 2017, if passed.
- The tax would be collected from the beverage distributors
- Kenney estimates the tax would raise over $400 million in 5 years
- The tax would pay for:
- Expanded Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K)
- Community schools
- Rebuilding Community Infrastructure program
- Philadelphia Energy Campaign
- The tax would NOT include diet drinks, 100% fruit juice, milk, or bottled water
Organizations around the city co-sponsored the survey including: The Philadelphia Citizen, Young Involved Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Department of Public Health, Get Healthy Philly, and The Philadelphia Food Trust. BeHeardPhilly℠ members were given the chance to share their opinions of the tax openly.
