Voters soured Tuesday on sweetened beverages, agreeing to add taxes to soft drinks and soda in Boulder, Colo., and three California cities.
In battles that saw millions of dollars spent on both sides, the cities became the first since Berkeley, Calif., pioneered a sugary drink tax in 2014. Advocates of the taxes argued that such drinks are unhealthy and could spur ailments such as diabetes.
Boulder added a 2-cent per ounce excise tax on distributors of sugary drinks such as soda, sports drinks and sweetened iced tea. The three Bay Area cities – San Francisco, Oakland and Albany, Calif. – each added a 1-cent per ounce excise tax.
