Shouldn't we have the govt put in a policy to tax bottled water?

Question

oops..i put this question in society...so sorry if I repeat it here and youv'e seen it.

Just a radical idea, but why don't we put a high tax on bottled water?

For tobacco, we impose a high tax to discourage its use, plus help foot the bill for the added costs to our medical system to treat people who develop lung cancer/emphysema/etc. later on.

With bottled water being really unnecessary (assuming you believe the articles where tap water beat out bottled water handily), shouldn't we do the same? Or a luxury tax (like those for high-end cars?) In the long run, all this bottled water is really using up oil to bottle and transport. The tax will help foot the bill for carbon offset. Plus, economically, it will shift people's preference. When it is $$$, people will pay more attention and ask if they really need to drink that bottled water.

What are your thoughts? I think this is the quickest way to shift habits.

Answer 1

No more taxes.  In case you didn't hear me:  NO MORE TAXES!!!.  Just in case you didn't understand NO MORE @#&%@ TAXES!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

To be frank, we should be lowering the taxes on luxuries such as alcohol and tobacco, not making the taxes for other things higher. It's true, there are hidden costs in all of these activities, but it shouldn't be up to the government to sway our opinions, no matter how poor our own judgment is.

There is no such thing as a hidden cost, simply an incorrect model market. For instance, it only takes 5 cents worth of oil to make a plastic bottle. If oil prices rise, which they will do for many reasons including the increasing amounts of plastic bottles, then there may one day be a time when companies need to correct their business model, by using a different material. What material? That's a good question. Glass is no better than plastic and actually leaves a larger carbon footprint since it takes so much energy to create each bottle.

The point is, you as a consumer have no right to give the government a license to sue, simply because you do not like something. You may complain about it, you may attempt to educate people on the topic, even go so far as to create a new medium to hold portable water (if most people are like me, they only drink bottled water when they're on the go and don't want to drink warm water from a sink they don't know.)

but extra, rampant taxation is never the answer.

Answer 3

A tax on bottled water would raise revenues and we should then figure out what to do with it.  You are hoping to change behavior though, so how about a deposit on plastic bottles instead?  That way your incentives are set up to encourage behavior change and not add cost to those that recycle.

It depends on whether you are implementing a tax to gain revenues or if you are using it to encourage behavior change.