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San Francisco supervisors who have proposed a sugary drink tax for the city’s November ballot said they were encouraged by a statewide poll that found nearly 80% of Bay Area residents support
such a tax.
The latest nonpartisan Field Poll found that 67% of the voting public in California supports a tax on soda and other sugary drinks, with the revenue going for school nutrition and physical activity programs.
That number jumps to 78% in the Bay Area, according to the poll.
San Francisco Supervisors Malia Cohen, Eric Mar and Scott Wiener have proposed a similar measure for the Nov. 4 ballot and released a statement on the latest poll.
“These poll results make it clear that soda tax measures that address our epidemic of diabetes — like the one we have introduced in San Francisco — have broad and deep support,” according to a statement by the supervisors. “San Francisco residents understand the negative impacts these
drinks have on our public health.”
Two-thirds of San Francisco voters will have to pass the tax measure for it to be approved.
A similar measure was voted down by 67% of voters in the East Bay city of Richmond in November 2012.
The Field Poll also found that 74% of Californians back a proposal to post a health warning label on sodas and sugary drinks to notify consumers about the threat of diabetes, obesity and tooth decay.
State Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, last week proposed such a warning label on sugary drinks sold in the state.
The Field Poll was conducted with 1,002 California registered voters between Nov. 14 and Dec. 5.
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