Seattle Becomes The Latest City To Place A Tax On Soda

After months of deliberation, the Seattle City Council has passed a sugary drink tax, which places a tax of 1.75 cents per ounce on soda, sports drinks, energy drinks, fruit juice, and more (but excluding diet soda). The law — which will be implemented in 2018 — imposes a duty eight times higher than the city's beer tax, according to Reason.com. Funds raised by the tax will go toward city food banks, pantries, and soup kitchens.

Despite pushback from the soda industry, Seattle is now the sixth city in America to pass a sugary drink tax. In Philadelphia and Berkley, California, where similar taxes are already in effect, the measures have already had an impact both for the beverage industry — some major soda brands are creating fewer manufacturing jobs — and for residents' diets — in Berkley, soda consumption has declined measurably.

Although Seattle's measure could still be blocked by a referendum introduced by the opposition party, business owners already see it as a doomsday scenario.

"I think after this tax my store is going to be closed," one business owner told the council before the vote, according to Reason.com.

Even if your city is not on the growing list of those to implement a tax, here are 10 More Reasons You Should Never Drink Soda.