Soda Tax Proposed To Help Stem Obesity Epidemic

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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - If soda is more your thing, you may not like this too much.

The nation's obesity epidemic has turned the spotlight on sugary drinks. Congresswoman Rosa Delaura isn't afraid of a fight. The 12-term Connecticut Democrat has survived cancer. Now she's taking a stand on health issues and right now that means sugar.

"For me, sugar is the new tobacco," she said.

Delaura has introduced a bill which would impose a federal tax on soda and certain drinks - one cent per teaspoon of sugar. As you may have guessed the proposal has not gone over well with the beverage industry.

The American Beverage Associations said in a statement that a 'soda tax' is an old idea that has gotten no traction in the past.

DeLaura counters that it would help Americans by discouraging consumption and fighting obesity.

"I think the government has a responsibility, the way we did with tobacco, and that is to increase the cost of sugary beverages," said Delaura.

NYU nutrition professor Marion Nestle, who has written a book about soda politics, said Coca-Cola has been forced into some embarrassing disclosures. The company recently admitted it's been funding a long list of health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics which you would expect to speak out against the dangers of soda.

"If you buy silence you get silence," said Nestle.

Coca-Cola officials said they're not trying to buy silence, but instead help support solutions to public health issues.

Americans appear to be reconsidering their love affair with soft drinks. Soda sales have dropped every year for the last decade, plunging to the lowest level in 20 years.

Last year Berkeley, California, became the first city in the nation to pass a soda tax. It's projected to raise more than a million dollars in its first year.