A television ad was aired during various public affairs programmes shown on US networks on Sunday, including Meet the Press, Face the Nation and Fox News Sunday.
The ad features a mother and her teenage children. The mother explains that times are tough in her community and American families shouldn’t have to pay another cent more for anything, including what they drink. The other advert is displayed on a full page in The Washington Post and shows a sample of the diverse members of the Americans Against Food Taxes coalition that have joined to voice their opposition to the tax.
“The message that this tax will only hurt the middle class and won’t teach our kids how to have a healthy lifestyle is getting through,” said American Beverage Association (ABA) president, Susan Neely, in a statement to members. “So far so good, but it’s not over yet.”
Although the tax hasn’t been included in the House bill, the ABA is concerned that a soft drink tax could still be a possibility after comments made by President Obama in an interview with Men’s Health magazine.
“His comments sparked a lot of free media for the proponents of a beverage tax, which in turn keeps the idea alive,” said Neely. “And as long as the idea lives, we’re vulnerable to a Senate Floor amendment in the weeks ahead. There also continues to be a chance that the health bill will be pursued through the budget reconciliation process. This means that the Democratic leadership could leverage their large majority to pass a more expansive bill that would require additional sources of funding, such as a beverage tax. Thus, our advocacy continues.”
Source: American Beverage Association
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