Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:12 pm   Reply with quote      

Coffee can be hazardous to your health if excessive amount is taken. Tobacco tax and alcohol tax are implemented arguably because they are hazardous to your health. Should we have coffee tax?

Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:02 pm   Reply with quote      

I'm not sure how much a coffee tax is necessary but, since I don't like the stuff, I say "hell, why not?!"

Aaron

Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:25 pm   Reply with quote      

I thought about this, when I thought about fast food tax. Though there is no anti-coffee campaign like anti-tobacco campaign, drinking so much coffee can't be good. Also people put enormous amount of sugar in coffee in US. That can't be good. If you justify tobacco tax and fast food tax, it seems to make sense that you can justify coffee tax as well. Maybe not for a cupt of coffee, but, for example, you get taxed after the second cup?

Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:59 pm   Reply with quote      

Perhaps taxing sugar would be the solution?

Aaron

Tue Aug 16, 2005 11:55 pm   Reply with quote      

I'm kind of going-off tangent, but I want to bring up some issue. Agriculture was the heart of economy in US, but agriculture was already becoming the industry of the past at the beginning of 20th century. The government essentially decided to subsidize agriculture for variety of reasons, but the fact still remains. Having vast amount of farmland in North America does not bring great future. Agriculture in US is too big and it is an old industry. It needs to be re-examined and restructured.

Despite the fact that Agriculture does not bring future to America, agriculture and food industry have enormous power in US. This is why we are not seeing any regulation on food, not in any meaningful way. So, regulating sugar would be extremely difficult, IMO. Common sense tells you that you don't want to fill up a cup with whip cream when you drink coffee. Given the present situation in US, you might also believe that the government's regulating it is perfectly reasonable, but I imagine it's quite a challenge.

Wed Aug 17, 2005 9:25 am   Reply with quote      

The same is very true in the UK, only I think the shift away from agriculture here has happened a little later.

Aaron