Big Soda has long targeted low-income families and communities of color by hooking them on unhealthy, sugary drinks, write local leaders Sepideh Taghvaei, Elaine Johnson and Scott Roseman. These communities have higher rates of diabetes, obesity and dental decay. Santa Cruz city ballot initiative Measure Z will right that historic inequity, they argue, by taxing these sugary drinks and reducing consumption by the most vulnerable populations. The revenues will then fund city programs and services that maintain community health, overseen by a citizen board. They encourage a yes vote on Measure Z.
