Tax bacon like soda or cigarettes?

An animal welfare activist with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has proposed a tax on bacon like cigarette taxes.

Ashley Fruno, associate director for PETA Australia, published an opinion piece suggesting a tax on processed meats because “…there’s no shortage of studies demonstrating the link between a diet high in animal products and an increased risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones, colitis and breast cancer.”

In October 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is part of the World Health Organization, claimed a definitive link between the consumption of processed meats and an increased risk for developing certain cancers.

“We already pay extra taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, and petrol to help offset the health and environmental costs of these items, so it’s reasonable to expect people to pay more for unhealthy — and unnecessary — foods that harm both humans and animals, and contribute significantly to climate change,” Fruno wrote.

Industry groups such as the North American Meat Institute (NAMI) and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association opposed the IARC’s findings, calling the report “dramatic and alarmist overreach.”