ACPM - AMA Resolution

AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION HOUSE OF DELEGATES

Resolution: XX

(A-05)

Introduced by: American College of Preventive Medicine

Subject: Imposing Taxes on Sugar-sweetened Soft Drinks

Referred to: Reference Committee ?

Whereas, The last two decades have witnessed an increasing epidemic of obesity in the United States (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/index.htm); and

Whereas, People who are overweight or obese are more likely to develop hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon); and

Whereas, Significant disparities in the prevalence of obesity exist, with the prevalence of obesity among women aged 20 and older (2001-2002) being 49.0%, 38.4%, and 30.7%, respectively, for African Americans, Mexican Americans, and whites (Hedley AA, et al. JAMA 2004; 291: 2847-50); and

Whereas, Obesity-attributable medical expenditures in the United States are estimated to be $75 billion annually, and about half of these expenditures are financed by Medicare and Medicaid (Finkelstein EA, et al. Obesity Research 2004; 12: 18-24); and

Whereas, Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are the largest single food source of calories in the American diet, and sugar-sweetened beverages have been linked to obesity in children and weight gain and type 2 diabetes in women (Apovian CM. JAMA 2004; 292: 978-9); and

Whereas, In 1942, when soft-drink consumption was about one-tenth what it is today, the AMA Council on Foods and Nutrition warned: “From the health point of view it is desirable especially to have restriction of such use of sugar as is represented by consumption of sweetened carbonated beverages and forms of candy which are of low nutritional value. The Council believes it would be in the interest of the public health for all practical means to be taken to limit consumption of sugar in any form in which it fails to be combined with significant proportions of other foods of high nutritive quality.” (JAMA 1942; 120: 763-5); and

Whereas, A minority of states impose specific taxes on soft drinks, and among those that do so, very few earmark tax revenues for health purposes (Jacobson MF, Brownell KD. Am J Public Health 2000; 90: 854-7; www.cspinet.org/reports/jacobson.pdf); and

Whereas, A national tax of one cent per 12-oz soft drink would generate about $1.5 billion annually (Jacobson MF, Brownell KD. Am J Public Health 2000; 90: 854-7; www.cspinet.org/reports/jacobson.pdf); and

Whereas, One of the seven items on the AMA’s healthcare advocacy agenda is “Improving public health through promoting healthy lifestyles and eliminating health disparities”; and

Whereas, Our AMA “recognizes obesity in children and adults as a major public health problem” and has called for multifaceted strategies to address the obesity epidemic (H-150.953, H-440.902, D-440.980, D-60.990), but more funding is needed to implement these strategies; and

Whereas, AMA policy supports increases in tobacco taxes, and allocation of tobacco tax revenues to tobacco control programs, health education, counter-advertising efforts, treatment of those with tobacco-caused illness (including nicotine dependence), and coverage of the uninsured (H-495.987; H-505.963; H-290.982; H-165.882; D-490.998); therefore be it

RESOLVED, That our AMA support the adoption of a small federal tax on soft drinks sweetened with caloric sugars (“sugar sweetened”), with a substantial portion of the new revenues to be earmarked to the prevention and treatment of obesity, as well as public health and medical programs that serve vulnerable populations (Directive to Take Action); and be it further

RESOLVED, That our AMA encourage state and local medical societies to support the adoption of small state and local taxes on sugar-sweetened soft drinks, with a substantial portion of the new revenues to be earmarked to the purposes noted above (Directive to Take Action); and be it further

RESOLVED, That our AMA support, to the extent possible, state and local efforts to impose small taxes on sugar-sweetened soft drinks (Directive to Take Action); and be it further

RESOLVED, That our AMA collaborate with other national organizations with an interest in this subject, including national medical specialty societies, the American Public Health Association, the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and the AMA Alliance; and be it further

RESOLVED, That when state legislative efforts to impose small taxes on sugar-sweetened soft drinks are stymied, consideration be given to the use of ballot initiatives in the 24 states that allow such initiatives (www.iandrinstitute.org/statewide_i&r.htm). (Directive to Take Action)