America: the land of nutritional paradoxes, where those who struggle to get enough to eat share roads with the morbidly obese. It makes sense, however, when you take into account the fact that fast food and sodas are the cheapest sources of calories, whether they’re healthy or not.

The city of Richmond has recently become the center of national attention as it debates a highly controversial but revolutionary bill to tax soft drinks by up to one cent per ounce. The soda tax, if passed, will be the first of its kind, and it might well be followed all around the nation.

The only question is: Why hasn’t this happened already?

Walmart currently sells packs of 24 cans of soda for less than $8. Healthier alternatives (though not necessarily much healthier) such as fruit smoothies and juice are often sold at the same price or higher.

With this in mind, it’s no surprise that many people pick soda over the “healthy” option. Richmond has taken initiative in the battle against obesity through its plans to implement a tax on soda.

Cigarettes are already heavily taxed because they are a menace to public health. The high tax discourages many young people from legally or illegally experimenting with them, and it would do the same were it placed on sodas as well.

Considering the steep increase in of obesity as a significant health issue in the country, taxing soda is the all-important first step in the uphill battle against it. Obesity-related diseases and disabilities also eat away at tax dollars when doctor’s bills and prescription drugs are involved. Battling obesity by nipping it in the bud would save the money of thousands of taxpayers.

As a society, too many Americans have become too dependent on soda. According to the figures of the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, half of Americans drink a soda every day, and one in 20 drinks four cans daily.

Every meal needs to be accompanied by a beverage, and instead of water, it ends up being soda for too many of us. The drink is a luxury, and taxing it would remind people that it is only a luxury. Since soda isn’t an addictive substance, an extra tax would not ruin people’s welfare, either.

Of course, soda companies are protesting this tax. They argue that people deserve choice of drink, and they should not have their favorite drink even more unattainable.

However, the tax would not take sodas off the market; it would just force people to ration their soft drink intake, a step toward moderation. A tax on unhealthy drinks might even have a ripple effect, which would cause people to consider taxing other unhealthy foods as well.

Sodas are not meant to be consumed every day. Making them more expensive would simply remind people of this. Soft drinks should be drunk on special occasions, occasions for which people would happily pay an additional tax.