Soda Tax Weighed to Pay for Health Care

[Henry Hawk]

If they tax by the inch, you shouldn't have a problem.   

but that would mean that I would have to pay TWICE as much as you do!!...

[Exterminator]

but that would mean that I would have to pay TWICE as much as you do!!...

That's not what she said.

[Henry Hawk]

That's not what she said.

your own Mother said that?...

[Gryphon]

Thanks for proving my point.

"Alcohol accounts for 3.7 percent of total global deaths and 4.4 percent of global disease, according to the WHO, and 140 million people throughout the world suffer from alcohol dependence."

The above from your study. (Granted your study is global)

Compare to: "In 2000, poor diet including obesity and physical inactivity caused 400,000 U.S. deaths -- more than 16 percent of all deaths and the No. 2 killer. That compares with 435,000 for tobacco, or 18 percent, as the top underlying killer."

http://www.doctorslounge.com/primary/articles/obesity_death/

Now unless there is a  new math Im unaware of 16 percent is a heckuva lot larger than 3.7 percent.

[Henry Hawk]

Thanks for proving my point.

"Alcohol accounts for 3.7 percent of total global deaths and 4.4 percent of global disease, according to the WHO, and 140 million people throughout the world suffer from alcohol dependence."

The above from your study. (Granted your study is global)

Compare to: "In 2000, poor diet including obesity and physical inactivity caused 400,000 U.S. deaths -- more than 16 percent of all deaths and the No. 2 killer. That compares with 435,000 for tobacco, or 18 percent, as the top underlying killer."

http://www.doctorslounge.com/primary/articles/obesity_death/

Now unless there is a  new math Im unaware of 16 percent is a heckuva lot larger than 3.7 percent.

are you comparing 3.7% WORLD deaths to 16% US deaths?

[Exterminator]

Now unless there is a  new math Im unaware of 16 percent is a heckuva lot larger than 3.7 percent.

What?  There's math?

(you might want to help Henry out; he seems to be having issues with measurements).

[Exterminator]

your own Mother said that?...

Yep and ew!

[Henry Hawk]

Thanks for proving my point.

"Alcohol accounts for 3.7 percent of total global deaths and 4.4 percent of global disease, according to the WHO, and 140 million people throughout the world suffer from alcohol dependence."

The above from your study. (Granted your study is global)

Compare to: "In 2000, poor diet including obesity and physical inactivity caused 400,000 U.S. deaths -- more than 16 percent of all deaths and the No. 2 killer. That compares with 435,000 for tobacco, or 18 percent, as the top underlying killer."

http://www.doctorslounge.com/primary/articles/obesity_death/

Now unless there is a  new math Im unaware of 16 percent is a heckuva lot larger than 3.7 percent.

then you are saying that 400,000 is a heckuva lot larger than 140 million ...help me out here Gryphon, because that is what it looks like you are implying.....am I mis-reading this?..

[Exterminator]

then you are saying that 400,000 is a heckuva lot larger than 140 million ...help me out here Gryphon, because that is what it looks like you are implying.....am I mis-reading this?..

Told you he was having problems with math.   

[Gryphon]

are you comparing 3.7% WORLD deaths to 16% US deaths?

yes Henry...we're talking about US taxes arent we? My numbers are for the US. Obesity causes 16 percent of US deaths. If you, or anyone else, can make whatever point mcgonser is reaching for by showing me something that says alcohol causes more than 16 percent of US deaths, Id be happy to take a look, but darned if I could find anything that came anywhere near that number.

[Gryphon]

If you dug a lil deeper in my article on US deaths, you might have seen this:

"The leading causes of death in 2000 were tobacco (435 000 deaths; 18.1% of total US deaths), poor diet and physical inactivity (400 000 deaths; 16.6%), and alcohol consumption (85 000 deaths; 3.5%). Other actual causes of death were microbial agents (75 000), toxic agents (55 000), motor vehicle crashes (43 000), incidents involving firearms (29 000), sexual behaviors (20 000), and illicit use of drugs (17 000). "

And heres a lil graph that illustrates the same truth *in pictures!*
http://riskometer.org/pages/riskringsExposures.html

Now, does the poster wish to continue to labor under the delusion that alcohol causes more deaths than obesity?

[mcgonser]

Boy, you guys get touchy when it affects you huh? Hit a nerve did I?

[Gryphon]

Boy, you guys get touchy when it affects you huh? Hit a nerve did I?

the only thing that hits a nerve with me are ill informed people who cant admit they are wrong.

[Henry Hawk]

yes Henry...we're talking about US taxes arent we? My numbers are for the US. Obesity causes 16 percent of US deaths. If you, or anyone else, can make whatever point mcgonser is reaching for by showing me something that says alcohol causes more than 16 percent of US deaths, Id be happy to take a look, but darned if I could find anything that came anywhere near that number.

btw, I was not disputing the facts....just the way you worded them...

[Gryphon]

I know Henry. And Im not disputing that alcohol is (if anything is) as "deserving" of a tax as cigarettes and soda pop--certainly it causes health problems and adds to our total health care bill.