French 'Cola Tax' Starts Next Week

Two things in France keep getting bigger: the deficit and the nation's waistline. To fight both simultaneously, a new "cola tax" will go into effect on New Year's Day, reports Der Spiegel. The tax will be a little more than a penny per can on Coke and other soft drinks, and industry insiders warn the move could eventually result in a 35% increase in prices. The government expects the tax to bring in $156 million in extra revenue. Denmark and Hungary have launched similar "fat taxes" on a wider range of products.