'Sin Tax' Would Offset Meat-Eaters' Higher Health-Care Costs, Says Group
For Immediate Release:
January 4, 2012
Contact:
Shakira Croce 202-483-7382
Des Moines, Iowa -- Decked out in pig costumes and driving a convertible, two PETA members hot off the Iowa caucus will continue to make a splash at Republican primary events and candidates' campaign stops throughout January to call for a federal excise tax on meat. The PETA porkers will head from Iowa—where Rick Perry hi-fived them and exclaimed, "Yeah! Cut the pork!" —to New Hampshire, Nevada, South Carolina, and Florida to point out that meat consumption has been linked to some of America's top killers, such as heart disease and cancer—driving health-care costs through the roof—and wreaks havoc on the environment. PETA says that meat should be taxed at 10 cents per pound to offset its staggering costs, just as alcohol, tobacco, gasoline, and other items are subject to a "sin tax."
"Today's factory farms aren't just a nightmare for animals—they're also damaging to our health and the environment," says PETA Senior Vice President Dan Mathews. "Slapping a long overdue tax on meat would save countless lives, human and nonhuman alike."
According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians are less prone to heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity than meat-eaters are—so taxing meat is a fair solution for the millions of U.S. vegetarians who are currently picking up the tab for sick meat-eaters through high taxes and health insurance premiums. The money raised by the new sin tax could be put toward preventive medicine, such as promoting a naturally low-fat, heart-healthy vegan diet.
The PETA "pigs" will visit New Hampshire from January 3 through 10, Nevada from January 10 through 14, South Carolina from January 17 through 21, and Florida from January 28 through 31. Photos of the "pigs" in Iowa are available upon request.
For more information, please visit PETA's Blog.
