Big Danger for Soda Lovers

If you love soda, or know someone who does—watch out! Your sugary habit might be someone else’s business pretty soon (and they might not share your fascination with the fizzy stuff).

Here’s what you can do to avoid getting a raw deal when new rules come into effect

A “fat tax” has been discussed for years, but only now has it become a political possibility. Now that Barack Obama has endorsed it, it could very well happen—even in the next year.

So what can you do?

• Learn to love diet soda. Even though it’s actually worse for your health than moderate consumption of regular soda, drinking diet soda is probably going to keep you safe from the taxman.
• Try all-natural sodas. They’re high in sugar, but they’re not the target here. These sodas are hipper, less popular, and usually sold by smaller companies—all good signs that they’ll be left alone.
• Learn to make your own. Carbonated water and concentrated flavorings aren’t hard to come by, and you might just find that you like your own mixes better!
• Protest! It’s not exactly the Boston Tea Party, but taxing caffeinated drinks has never gone over well in America. If you tell your Congressman how you feel, you might be able to make a difference.

With any luck, the “fat tax” will be dropped soon. But if we were lucky, we wouldn’t have a trillion-dollar deficit, a weakening dollar, unemployment nearing 10%, and a nervous stock market.

So your best bet is to enjoy soda while you can.