After several failed attempts, it appears that the state Legislature is, at last, truly poised to pass a meaningful and effective bill that levies a soda tax on sugary drinks.
Senate Bill 1085 is the governor’s proposal and is projected to raise $37 million for obesity prevention in Hawaii. It establishes a special fund in the Department of Health, and possibly anti-obesity programs in the Department of Human Services and state community health centers.
The governor is fully behind the soda fee and has placed it among his top priorities. Sen. Josh Green, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and a practicing physician, is also supportive of the measure. The governor has reportedly called members of the Senate Health Committee several times personally requesting that the bill be passed out of the committee. It will be heard Monday and is likely to move forward.
Adult obesity in Hawaii has more than doubled in the past decade, and childhood obesity has increased by more than one-third. SB 1085 states that "as a result of health risks and complications related to obesity, this generation of children may be the first generation not to outlive their parents." The bill notes that obesity-related medical expenditures in Hawaii were calculated to be more than $470 million in 2009, and are increasing.
Numerous scientific studies have identified sugar-sweetened beverages as a principal cause of the costly obesity epidemic. Children are a particular concern. The younger a person is when he or she becomes obese, the harder it is to lose the weight, and the greater the chance that the child will develop diabetes.
Obesity has numerous, deadly companion illnesses including sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer and stroke.
This bill has a better chance of succeeding than prior legislative attempts because it clearly earmarks sugar tax revenues to fight the primary health problem it causes and because the governor is now committed. If SB 1085 passes, the people of Hawaii will, in many cases, look at the shelf and see that healthful beverages are now less expensive. Choosing to consume less sugar will result in a positive social and economic impact for our families and our community.
Other important health bills to watch:
» Senate Bill 1329: Requires labeling of genetically modified foods.
» Senate Bill 932: Prohibits anyone diagnosed by a mental health professional as a danger to themselves or others, or who makes deadly threats toward specific persons, from possession or purchasing firearms; and creates a reporting system to be accessed by law enforcement, mental health professionals and gun dealers.
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Ira Zunin, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A., is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Services Inc. Please submit your questions to info@manakaiomalama.com.
