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Comment by mensetmanusman | Hacker News Reader

An 1000% tax on sugars would have a huge effect on the U.S.

Here in South Africa we now have a sugar tax, and its made a difference. Soft drinks have generally reduced their sugar content.

Exactly.

Another option is to not allow EBT to buy sugary drinks. This would reduce type 2 diabetes and heart issues in a population that has one of the highest rates.

Just limit serving sizes instead of outright bans.

People will just drink two servings. Some soft drink containers are actually two servings or more already, even though everyone who gets such a container will drink the whole thing as if it were on serving.

People are in bulk sufficiently lazy that it still works to cap the serving size.

I think you are confusing container size with serving size. They are not related.

Quart : pint pot ?

Yes. It'd cause immediate riots in the streets and a black market for sugar, because it's near as addictive as any controlled substance.

It definitely would on the poor, sin taxes are inherently regressive.

I think that what we have here is a trolley problem:

* A sin tax on sugar would be the utilitarian approach.

* Avoiding regressive public policies would be the deontological approach.

I'm inclined to pull the lever, but my opinions may be biased by the fact that I spend very little of my income on sugary foods and so would see little impact from such a tax.

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