Those numbers are extrapolated from a proposal published in Wednesday's The New England Journal of Medicine.
For Temple residents, the bill would be about $3.8 million annually.
The group of scientists and medical professionals that authored the study suggested that sugary drinks should be taxed at the rate of 1 cent per ounce. Nationally, that would raise $15 billion, according to a New York Times story on the subject. That would be spent on health care, the study authors say.
The paper says a beverage tax would raise revenue, but also be a disincentive, lowering the nation's intake of sugary drinks, thus leading to weight loss and reducing other health risks.
President Obama, among others, has said the idea is worth pursuing, the Times reported.
However, Rep. John Carter, R-Texas, who represents this district in Congress, said he would not support it because he refuses to raise taxes during a recession.
"While he believes we should promote a healthy lifestyle, levying new taxes is not the way to do it," a spokesman said. "This is different from tobacco. It's not that kind of threat to health. Used in moderation, there's nothing wrong with it (sugary drinks). And a tax on it would just take more money out of a family's budget."
