I was living in the Seattle area when they implemented theirs and that is when I looked into the taxes and found out about Philly including diet soda. I can’t find a source now with quick googling but the reason I came across back then was that statistically white middle class consumers drink more diet soda so zero calorie drinks were included in the “sugary” tax to promote equity… while completely destroying the health push that was the very reason for the tax.
Meanwhile diet or not I just wish I could get Mezzo Mix at my local store.
I was living in the Seattle area when they implemented theirs and that is when I looked into the taxes and found out about Philly including diet soda. I can’t find a source now with quick googling but the reason I came across back then was that statistically white middle class consumers drink more diet soda so zero calorie drinks were included in the “sugary” tax to promote equity… while completely destroying the health push that was the very reason for the tax.
Meanwhile diet or not I just wish I could get Mezzo Mix at my local store.
That logic is insanely frustrating. You see it in policy all the time and it drives me crazy.
This is why we can’t have nice things…