Tomorrow the Senate Finance Committee will begin hearing suggestions from experts on methods for funding President Barack Obama’s $1.2 trillion health care plan. Among the suggestions for sources of revenue will be a tax on “sugar-sweetened drinks.”  

The legislation would impose a tax on all sugary beverages, including soda, tea, juice, sports drinks and flavored milk. The tax is estimated to cover $12 billion of Obama’s health care plan over four years.

More than half of states have soda taxes in place, charging consumers on average 5.2 percent on soda purchases. The new tax being proposed will be applied on a national scale and is slated to charge one to three cents per ounce.

The proposed tax has already received support from health officials who see it as a win-win, deterring poor dietary habits and funding universal health-care. The Food and Drug Administration has reported soda as one of the leading causes of obesity in America and while health officials have attempted to push through a soda tax before for this reason, the need to pay for Obama’s looming health care bill has garnered the tax more support than before.

Students like Daniel Bluestein, a freshman in chemical engineering, disagree with health officials pushing for the tax.

“There are better ways to pay for health care than taxing sugared drinks,” Bluestein said, suggesting more taxes on cigarettes and alcohol.   

“People don’t get fat from juice boxes and teas. In fact, a lot of kids get their vitamins from juice,” Bluestein said. “As for soda, the tax is going to make people angry, but they’ll still drink the same amount so obesity won’t really go down.”

As the tax will also cover sports and energy drinks, Bluestein said it would actually impede his ability to stay fit and active.

Garrett Jordan, a freshman in mechanical engineering, said he felt the tax would go a long way in reducing the rates of obesity by making people less willing to buy soda and other high sugar content drinks.

“[The tax] makes sense, the same way taxes on cigarettes do. The average American household will be forced to buy healthier alternatives,” Jordan said. “If the legislation goes through, we should see a change in obesity rates over a few years time.”

Jordan also said higher income families who could still afford the drinks would be contributing to the health care plan, echoing the sentiments of health experts.

Students like Billy Barrino, a freshman in the transition program, were in support of the tax despite knowing they would have to pay much more for many drinks on the market. Barrino said people will benefit a lot from the health-care plan the tax is funding.

“The $12 billion is a significant contribution to the plan,” Barrino said. “Every bit counts.”

As for keeping people healthy, Barrino said it would force him and others to drink fewer high-sugar drinks and more water if the price will increase significantly, which he said was a good thing.