Health advocates on Monday expressed optimism that a tax on sugary drinks is being considered as part of the bipartisan Senate budget proposal filed in Springfield. “We are grateful for the leadership exhibited by the Illinois Senate President and the Republican Leader, who have put aside partisan wrangling to help solve the state’s budget crisis. In particular, we appreciate their acknowledgement that there cannot be a balanced state budget without new revenue. And since fifty percent of added sugar consumed by Americans comes from sugary drinks, which are linked to diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases, the sugary beverage tax they are contemplating is a particularly important source of new revenue. It will save lives, relieve immeasurable suffering and help close a major drain on our state budget, health care system and economy,” said Karen Larimer, president of the American Heart Association’s Metro Chicago Board of Directors. “More and more scientific evidence continues to show that at least a penny-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages is needed to have a health impact and the public health community would welcome the opportunity to support such a proposal.”

But advocates also cautioned that taxing sugary drinks should not be considered a stand-alone solution to the costly epidemic of chronic disease. “This is a significant opportunity to attack chronic disease at its root,” said Elissa Bassler, CEO of the Illinois Public Health Institute. “The Illinois budget has both short- and long-term problems. Obesity costs the Illinois healthcare system more than $6 billion a year, including more than $1 billion in Medicaid. If we want to make permanent gains in both our fiscal and physical health, the legislature and governor should direct a portion of the revenues from the drink tax to a wellness fund for community prevention initiatives that help inoculate the state against rising health care costs.” Originally championed by Sen. Mattie Hunter (D- 3rd District) and Rep. Robyn Gabel (D- 18th District) and supported by the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity, the sugary drink tax is part of the Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) proposal to raise funds for community prevention and help the budget by funding Medicaid. “We’re happy to see that key decision makers are recognizing that ideas in the HEAL proposal have merit. We urge members to look at the comprehensive HEAL proposal that addresses the state’s budget challenges while investing in low-income communities where people are literally dying for better access to healthy food, safe places to be physically active, better school health resources and other supports for a healthy, active and disease-free life,” said Apostle Carl White Jr., Southland Economic Center, Victory Christian Church.