Seattle Sugary Drink Tax: Proceeds Would Fix 'Opportunity Gap'

SEATTLE, WA - Seattle Mayor Ed Murray has proposed a tax on sugary drinks to fund education programs that would help close the "opportunity gap" between students. The tax would be implemented via city ordinance, and would apply to drinks ranging from soda to bottled Starbucks coffee drinks.

Murray proposed the tax in his state of the city speech on Tuesday. The tax would add 2 cents per ounce for drinks, which means that a 12 ounce can of Pepsi would cost 24 cents more.

Murray estimates that the tax would raise $16 million, which would be put toward fixing education disparities. The "opportunity gap" refers to how well educational opportunities are distributed across racial and socioeconomic groups. In general, affluent white communities get better opportunities than poor and predominantly minority communities. The proceeds of the tax would go toward closing that gap.

The sugar tax was proposed to fund solutions proposed by the Education Summit Advisory Group. The tax would apply to sodas like Coke and Pepsi, but not diet sodas; energy drinks like Red Bull and Monster; fruit drinks; and sweet teas and coffee drinks. Drinks exempt from the tax would be those labeled "100 percent juice," store-made drinks, infant formula, and liquid medicine.

Image via Pixabay