Councilmember

Lynette Gibson McElhaney

Oakland City Council President
And Councilmember for District 3
1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza
Oakland, CA 94612

Dear Councilmember Gibson McElhaney,

April 5, 2016

On behalf of Oakland Food Policy Council (OFPC) I am writing in support of placing a Sugar Sweetened
Beverage Tax in Oakland on this Novembers ballot. This is a matter deeply personal for me as I recently
lost my brother due to complications from struggling with severe diabetes for years. The loss of my
brother is painful and sadly not uncommon. Many families in Oakland are experiencing the horrors of
diabetes. Policies that allow companies to sell detrimental products without recourse are irresponsible
and value profit over people. This is exactly why we need to implement a tax on sugar-sweetened
beverages.

Oakland continue to battles a serious health crisis with more than 37% of adolescents in Oakland being
overweight or obese, disproportionately impacting communities of color. Not surprisingly, one in seven
Oakland youth drink two or more sodas per day. One-third of all children and nearly half of African-
American and Latino children, are predicted to develop diabetes in their lifetimes. Evidence points to
sugar sweetened beverages as the leading culprit. Soda and other sugary drinks are the number one
source of added sugar in the American diet, and are linked to increased risk of obesity and diseases such
as diabetes, heart and liver disease, and the most common chronic disease among children, tooth decay.

Sugar-sweetened beverage consumption increases the risk for both diabetes and heart disease.
Compared to non-drinkers, individuals who drink 12 sugar-sweetened beverages per day have a 26%
higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes and a 20% higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Too many Oakland families have lost loved ones to diet related disease, which is why OFPC is so deeply
committed to ensuring that our City is a safe place where everyone has access to healthy food. We
believe we need strong policy to address this crisis by taxing companies that distribute
sugary drinks. A November 2016 Ballot Measure will tax distributors of sugar sweetened beverages per
ounce. These revenues can be used to support health education programs and efforts to improve
childrens health across Oakland. We hope you will consider this in your vote.

Sincerely,
Esperanza Pallana, Council Director and Members of Oakland Food Policy Council

221 Oak Street, Suite D, Oakland, CA 94607: 415.412.0585: epallana@oaklandfood.org