Well-designed environmental policies can make the world a more pleasant and healthy place to live in for everyone. But when corporations spread misinformation, they make it more difficult for policymakers and voters to determine policy design that benefits everyone.
A recent move by Coca-Cola to spread misinformation in Mexico threatened to throw a wrench in the works of a new law. This legislation aimed to improve public health by and discourage the sale of soft drinks through higher taxes, Sin Embargo reported.
What's happening?
Currently, soft drinks and sugary drinks in Mexico are taxed at one peso per liter, a modest amount. The taxes go to a fund to promote health.
The proposed new law would raise the tax to three pesos. That's triple the original amount but still equivalent to a mere 16 cents.
The new rules would also apply to non-calorie sweeteners. Industry representatives have argued that they should count as healthier drinks and should not be taxed like sugary beverages.
To counter this proposal, Coca-Cola, represented by the Mexican Association of Beverages and the National Association of Small Merchants, has been spreading misinformation.
The brand has claimed that there has been no demonstrated benefit from the original tax. But a study has already shown a reduction in the sale of sugary beverages, per Sin Embargo. It has also been directly lobbying to oppose the new law.
"[Representatives of the soft drink industry] try to divert attention," said Alejandro Calvillo, director of Consumer Power, in an interview that has been translated. "Something that is very surprising, and that we have not seen either nationally or internationally, is that a Coca-Cola official publicly attacks the regulation and makes direct, personal attacks. … Coca-Cola opposes these policies and does so through associations such as the Mexican Beverage Association, … but we have never seen this attitude before."
Why is the tax on soft drinks important?
A tax like this one, while small, helps divert sales of sugary and artificially sweetened drinks to healthier alternatives. This helps improve the health of the population a little bit at a time. While it might seem like a small, incremental change, it could make a noticeable difference across a large population.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola is one of the world's worst plastic polluters and has actually earned the top spot multiple years running. When it sells soft drinks, those bottles often end up on streets or even in the ocean. They're more than an eyesore; they shed microplastics, which also harm human health.
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In another translated statement from the interview, Calvillo stated, "This information needs to reach the public. We have to [work to] prevent the advertising of these products, we have to prevent these products not only from being in schools, but also from being in spaces where families gather, and we have to impose high taxes on these products so that the resources go to health to prevent and treat the harm that their consumption is causing."
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