Soda makers have gone to great lengths to fight taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, including backing a newly approved ballot initiative in Washington that prevents cities and towns from imposing such taxes.
A November 6, 2018 Kaiser Health News article examined the soda industry’s efforts to portray soda taxes as ineffective, including forging close ties with doctors, scientists, and professional societies to downplay the health risks of soda.
However, Frank Hu, chair of the Department of Nutrition, told Kaiser Health News that there is “quite compelling evidence” linking sugary drinks to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Read the Kaiser Health News article: Soda industry steals page from tobacco to combat taxes on sugary drinks