3 ms·

I have a problem with "sin taxes". On one hand I think its good that less people are smoking. Its a horrible habit and having less people smoking reduces health

I have a problem with "sin taxes". On one hand I think its good that less people are smoking. Its a horrible habit and having less people smoking reduces healthcare costs for society and will add longevity to the many people. Where I have an issue with "sin taxes" in general is that "sins" start to be widely stated and in general really hurt the working class. Take for example in California where gas is taxed to no end, for myself who works from home in software this doesn't really affect me as I only drive on the weekends, for a blue collar worker it becomes extremely expensive as their job forces them to drive and their lower income makes the gas cost increase outsized. In addition in NY the sugar tax on soda seems really heavy handed, typically sugary drinks are chosen by families as they are cheaper than fresher alternatives, what this does is just raise the price on the lowest price flavored drinks for families that can least afford it. Education about obesity and its effects seem non-existent and it would be a better way to go about this than the idea that poor people are stupid and need bad things for them made more expensive.

nouveaux 5y ago
Yes it hits poor people more. At the same time, gas prices have a very strong correlation to the purchase of gas guzzling cars. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/auto-sales-hit-new-record-as-americans-buy-more-gas-guzzling-cars/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/auto-sales-hit-ne...
GordonS 5y ago
> typically sugary drinks are chosen by families as they are cheaper than fresher alternatives Sugary drinks are cheaper than water? > Education about obesity and its effects seem non-existent I really don't think that's true. The US (and to a lesser extent many other parts of the world) have had a growing obesity crisis for decades - everyone knows that eating too much food is bad for you, and that eating too much sugar results in obesity and diabetes. People buy these things because they are cheap and addictive - but they absolutely do know they are bad for them. I'm of the opinion that the addictive nature of sugar means governments should be stepping in to take action, and I think dropping ridiculous subsidies for sugar and corn make a lot of sense, as well as a "sugar tax" for finished goods like fizzy drinks and candy. Education obviously must continue to play a part, but that alone simply isn't enough.

nouveaux 5y ago

Yes it hits poor people more. At the same time, gas prices have a very strong correlation to the purchase of gas guzzling cars. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/auto-sales-hit-new-record-as-americans-buy-more-gas-guzzling-cars/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/auto-sales-hit-ne...

GordonS 5y ago

> typically sugary drinks are chosen by families as they are cheaper than fresher alternatives Sugary drinks are cheaper than water? > Education about obesity and its effects seem non-existent I really don't think that's true. The US (and to a lesser extent many other parts of the world) have had a growing obesity crisis for decades - everyone knows that eating too much food is bad for you, and that eating too much sugar results in obesity and diabetes. People buy these things because they are cheap and addictive - but they absolutely do know they are bad for them. I'm of the opinion that the addictive nature of sugar means governments should be stepping in to take action, and I think dropping ridiculous subsidies for sugar and corn make a lot of sense, as well as a "sugar tax" for finished goods like fizzy drinks and candy. Education obviously must continue to play a part, but that alone simply isn't enough.