Three Out of Four Vending Machines Prefer Soda

This picture was taken outside a Safeway near my house. In the image, the viewer can see the one water vending machine outnumbered by three soda machines. In 2009, a research done by UCLA showed that in California, "62% of adolescents ages 12-17 and 41% of children ages 2-11 drink at least one soda or other sweetened beverage every day. In addition, 24% of adults drink at least one soda or other sweetened beverage on an average day." Also, the research showed that adults who drink soda occasionally are 15% more likely to become overweight or obese while adults who drink soda every day are 27% more likely to become overweight or obese. In 2009, the senate proposed a soda tax to help pay for President Obama's universal health care plan. The proposal called for a three-cent tax on sodas as well as other sugary drinks, excluding diet sodas. Will taxing soda fix help with the problem? I do not think so. Cigarettes are currently taxed but hundreds of thousands of people in America still die every day due to smoking.