Mayor signs Philadelphia's sugary drink tax into law

PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia’s mayor signed into law the city’s one-and-a-half-cent-per-ounce tax on sugary beverages Monday.

City council approved the measure last week in a 13-4 vote.

It not only affects sodas — regular and diet — but "sugar-added" and "artificially sweetened beverages," including energy drinks, tea and juices. %

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Berkeley, California, was the first city to pass a soda tax in 2014. But Philadelphia's measure is expected to have a bigger impact on soda taxes across the country because of the city's size.

The American Beverage Association responded by saying it would take legal action to stop it.

The emphasis on the city's budget is what some are crediting for this measure's success. Most of the estimated $90 million in new tax revenue will be spent on pre-kindergarten, community schools and recreation centers.

Cox Media Group