The citizens of Berkeley in California have voted for additional tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, becoming the first city in the US to okay such a move.
Berkeley voted 75.12% to 24.88% for a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. The tax would be imposed on soda, energy drinks and juices but not on diet sodas and alcohol.
Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates was quoted by Associated Press as saying: "We're saying no to Big Soda.
"We're saying that Berkeley and the rest of the country need to pay attention that soda is such a destructive product."
However, a similar move by San Francisco has failed to obtain the mandatory two-thirds majority. About 54of % the people in the city voted for such a tax, but 45% said no, thus defeating the proposal to charge two-penny-per-ounce tax.
Experts opine that Berkeley's vote could trigger such measures in many other US cities. However, the American Beverage Association said that Berkeley's decision is not representative.
Association spokesperson Christopher Gindlesperger was quoted by the Wall Street Journal as saying: "By no means does this vote portend a trend. Activists picked the lowest-hanging piece of fruit on their quest for discriminatory taxes.''
The association has reportedly spent more than $2m in Berkeley and $9m in San Francisco to campaign against the tax.
