Sugary soft drinks are coming under attack again.
Philadelphia’s mayor is proposing a 3 cents per ounce tax on soda, iced tea and other sugary drinks, according to NPR. The plan would tax the beverage companies, which could lead to higher prices.
Read more: 5 serious health risks of drinking diet soda
Beverage companies fight latest soda tax proposalÂ
Look at it this way: Under this proposal, there would be a 36-cent tax on a 12-ounce can of soda.
The city council will not vote on the matter until June, but beverage giants Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been united against it from the start. Â
Where would the money go?Â
This fight is a little different than previous ones – because this soda tax is different.
Rather than trying to reduce how much soda people drink for health reasons, Mayor Jim Kenney says the tax will fund universal pre-K and other projects, adding up to $400 million over five years.
Soda sales slumpÂ
And this latest debate comes as soda sales have dropped for more than a decade.
People are increasingly turning to flavored waters and juices with fewer calories than soda, Fortune reported.
Read more: Why you might want to give your soda can a rinse
Would you support the soda tax?
Only time will tell what happens in Philadelphia. If the soda tax passes, will consumers be willing to pay a higher price or will they just buy their soda outside city limits?
Take our Twitter poll and let us know what you think about the proposal.
Â
Philly’s mayor is proposing a soda tax of 3 cents per ounce. Would you support a similar tax where you live?
— Clark Howard (@ClarkHoward) May 23, 2016
Â