Berkeley voters passed Measure D in 2014, making Berkeley the first US city to enact a sugar-sweetened beverage tax. Distributors pay one cent per fluid ounce on sodas, sports drinks, and sweetened teas sold in Berkeley.
Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 7.72 imposes a one-cent-per-ounce excise tax on distributors of sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda, energy drinks, sweetened iced teas, and syrups. Diet drinks, milk, baby formula, and 100 percent juice are exempt. Revenue funds the Healthy Berkeley grant program, supporting school nutrition and youth health initiatives. Studies in the American Journal of Public Health found Berkeley sugary-drink consumption fell roughly 21 percent in low-income neighborhoods after the tax. The measure passed with 76 percent voter support and inspired similar taxes in Philadelphia, Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle.
Distributors who fail to register, file quarterly returns, or remit the tax face penalties, interest, and possible misdemeanor liability under the Berkeley Municipal Code.
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