Buying a Coke in Cook County will cost more. That’s because the county’s soft-drink tax goes into effect July 1.
The tax will be a penny an ounce on all “sweetened beverages” that contain sugar or artificial sweeteners. This includes, soft drinks, diet soft drinks, fruit beverages that are not 100 percent fruit juice, sports drinks and energy drinks.
That means a two liter bottle of soda that sells for 99 cents will increase 67 cents to $1.66. A 12 pack of soda that sells for $4.99 will go up $1.44 to $6.43. And a 24 pack will go from $7.99 to $10.87
The Cook County Board passed the tax last year. County board president Toni Preckwinkle said that tax will bring in $75 million in revenue to the county every year.
She also said, is that it will discourage people from buying soft drinks, which are a cause of obesity and diabetes.