Credit Matt Rourke / AP Photo
The controversial sugary beverage tax prompted hours of discussion by Bethel residents, advocacy organizations, and city council members in last night’s meeting. The council voted to introduce the ordinance, but tabled the public hearing and final vote until April 2021.
If adopted, the ordinance would add a 1-cent-per-ounce excise tax on sugary drinks. That would add $1.44 to the cost of a 12-pack of soda, to be paid by the distributor.
Residents who support the tax said that it could reduce the consumption of sugary beverages and the adverse health outcomes that come with it. Bethel Dentist Tucker Burnett cited a 2008 study that found that young children in the Y-K Delta have five times more tooth decay, fillings, and missing teeth than the national average. “And I m here to tell you that the number one cause, absolutely, is sugary drinks,” said Burnett in the meeting.