As Gov. Larry Hogan settles into office, he faces the impressive challenge of balancing Maryland's budget while making good on his pledge to cut taxes for residents. Sugar Free Kids Maryland, the state's leading voice in the fight against teen diabetes and childhood obesity, has a solution that may make this challenge a little easier and the rest of us a little healthier.
Our diverse coalition of groups is supporting legislation in this year's session of the Maryland General Assembly that would repeal the state's 6 percent sales tax on bottled water. Maryland is one of only four states that taxes bottled water at a higher rate than other essential food and drinks, like bread and milk. Water, in all its forms, is the most essential of them all.
While Sugar Free Kids recognizes that tap water is the safest and most affordable form of water, we also know that for a variety of reasons, many Marylanders choose bottled water as their primary source of drinking water. For families on the go, bottled water is the often the only form available.
There is no doubt that the rates of chronic diseases related to unhealthy lifestyles among both children and adults have grown so dramatically that they must be considered public health epidemics. Children as young as 10 years old are being diagnosed with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and other diseases previously believed to be reserved for adulthood. At this rate, their generation will, for the first time in history, have shorter life spans than their parents. That's a bleak and frightening outlook for all Marylanders.
Drinking just one eight-ounce sugary drink a day increases a child's odds of becoming obese by 60 percent. Replacing that drink with water from the tap or bottle would not just reduce the risks of these diseases but add years to their lives.
Making bottled water more affordable for adults and children would not only save Marylanders money, it would also encourage consumption of water — a much healthier alternative to sodas, fruit juices, Gatorade and other sugary drinks, which are the main contributors to the epidemics of type 2 diabetes and childhood obesity.
We know from talking to Maryland families that price really does matter when it comes to the food and drinks that we consume. For instance, a woman on a fixed budget from Baltimore City shared with us how she calculates sales tax on all purchases and how removing the tax will help her make healthier choices for her family. She's not alone. This common sense, evidence-based measure will make the healthiest choice more affordable for all Maryland families.
Marylanders like this solution, too. A recent poll conducted by OpinionWorks found that nearly 80 percent of Marylanders from all parties, backgrounds and areas support making bottled water sales tax-free; 61 percent of Marylanders polled "strongly" support it.
Removing this broad-based tax would cost Maryland coffers $12 million to $15 million a year, which is less than 0.1 percent of the state's annual operating budget. The small investments we make today in the long-term health of our children will reap economic and health benefits for decades to come.
Parents responsible for supplying the soccer team with drinks at halftime will have a much easier decision making the healthier choice, and office managers responsible for supplying drinks for the big meeting will also be more apt to make the healthier choice.
We are asking Governor Hogan to take a strong long look at our bipartisan proposal — a tax cut with significant public support and benefits for the public health. It offers a win-win for all Marylanders, with benefits that would help both our pocketbooks and our waistlines.
Making healthy choices easier and more affordable is within our grasp. For Governor Hogan and members of the General Assembly who want to work together to promote healthier Maryland families, removing tax on bottled water is a proposition they can't afford to refuse.
Robi Rawl is the executive director of Sugar Free Kids Maryland, a statewide coalition working to educate Marylanders about childhood obesity and teen diabetes and the roles that sugary drinks play in these diseases. Her e-mail address is rrawl@medchi.org.