And for their part, the bill’s sponsors aren’t running away from the usual criticism that “whenever you tax something, you get less of it;” that’s exactly their point. They’d like to see less sugary drink consumption, particularly by children, and it’s not difficult to understand why.

A bill introduced in Maryland could impose taxes on certain sugary drinks with some of the revenue going to support meal programs for students across the state.

The For Our Kids Act, proposed in the Maryland General Assembly, would place a tax on all sugary beverages such as soda, sports drinks, and energy drink.