Sugary-drink tax?

Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco have claimed a tax on sodas and other sugary drinks would save thousands of lives and billions in health-care costs.

The theoretical pennies-per-ounce tax would prevent 100,000 cases of heart disease, 8,000 strokes, 240,000 cases of diabetes and 26,000 deaths in addition to producing $13 billion in direct tax revenue and saving $17 billion in health-care costs, according to a UCSF press release.

The research, which was conducted by UCSF, San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center and Columbia University, noted that beverages high in calories but low in nutritional value are the single greatest source of excessive caloric intake in the American diet.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated reducing the intake of sugary drinks is one of the top priorities when trying to lower the nation’s obesity rate.