Philadelphia likely to become first major U.S. city with soda tax
Philadelphia's City Council is expected to approve a 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on sugary and diet drinks Thursday, becoming the first major U.S. city to do so.
Two previous efforts to enact a soda tax in the city failed, but this time, Mayor Jim Kenney told the council the estimated $90 million in new tax revenues would pay for pre-K, community schools, and recreation centers, The Associated Press reports. The beverage industry has spent millions of dollars on a campaign to block the tax, and is expected to sue if it is approved. The only other city in the U.S. to have such a tax is Berkeley, California.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
