Jan Carney, Ph.D., and Jane Kolodinsky, Ph.D.

(JANUARY 13, 2023) Jan Carney, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine and associate dean for public health, and Jane Kolodinsky, Ph.D., professor and chair of the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics - both of whom are members of the advocacy committee for the American Heart Association - wrote a commentary in VT Digger in support of a sugary beverage excise tax. Reducing overconsumption of unhealthy drinks could help Vermont youth achieve better lifelong health while reducing health care spending and also generating revenue to help everyday Vermonters, they said, citing an estimate by the UConn Rudd Center for Food Policy and Health that a 2-cent-per-ounce sugary beverage excise tax could raise over $30 million in new revenue for Vermont that could be used for important economic development efforts to benefit both families and businesses. The overall effect of a sugary beverage excise tax would be to broaden the tax base, help maintain the workforce that businesses need, and support economic stability and growth, they said.