Editorial: Kids today are more cautious
The Columbian, Vancouver, June 23
A recent survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that, in general, teens are more healthy and more responsible than their predecessors. For example, the survey that was conducted in 2015 found that 41 percent of today’s high school students have had sex. That represents a drop from 47 percent in 2013 and from 54 percent in 1991, the first year of the biannual survey.
Washington, Oregon and Minnesota do not take part, meaning that the results are not directly applicable to this corner of the nation. Nonetheless, the results serve as a reminder that today’s youngsters do not necessarily embrace the coarsening that is evident in popular culture. Among those habits for success is a sharp decline in cigarette use. About 28 percent of high school students in 1991 reported that they smoked cigarettes, a number that declined to 11 percent in 2015. Much of that has been replaced by the use of e-cigarettes or other vaping products, with 24 percent of respondents reporting use in the previous 30 days.
There also has been a decline in alcohol use. In 1991, more than half of respondents reported drinking at least once a month; today, about one in three drink that often. Meanwhile, the use of marijuana also has declined, but an increased percentage of students report using prescription drugs for recreational purposes. Finally, the survey showed that today’s students are about half as likely to get into fights as students in 1991.
News Tribune (Tacoma), June 20
It’s been several years since state or local policy makers took a serious look at taxing soda pop. Washington legislators approved a tax on soft drinks, bottled water, candy and some processed foods in 2010 to help plug a massive budget deficit in the midst of a recession. The tax lasted about as long as the carbonation in a cola can left open on the counter.
A $16 million initiative campaign killed the tax just months after it was adopted. The sugared-drink industry has administered similar beatdowns to at least 40 other states and communities. The tide might be starting to turn, however, judging by what happened recently. The Philadelphia City Council adopted a 1.5-cent-per-ounce soda tax, joining Berkeley, California, as the only U.S. cities to pull it off.
A chorus of health experts supports taxing a product that offers nothing but empty calories. Americans seem to be catching on, as the country’s soft-drink consumption has fallen every year for more than a decade, according to analytics firm Euromonitor.
Mayor Jim Kenney offered this advice to cities based on what worked for Philadelphia: “Tie your efforts to tangible initiatives that people care about,” he told the New York Times. In Philadelphia, the money will be targeted at universal pre-kindergarten.
When state lawmakers arrive at what seems an inevitable conclusion next year – that they’ll need more revenue to bridge a projected $2 billion to $3 billion public schools obligation – they would be remiss not to study all options, including a tax on a discretionary product that causes documented harm.