Beware the Candy Tax

Yet another letter about me in the Globe and Mail today concerning my health.

Randal Heide writes:

Gerry Nicholls understandably doesn't want his tax dollars used for a ParticipAction ad campaign (Couch Potatoes Defended -- letter, Oct. 5), and Dr. John A. Carmichael (Selfish Couch Potatoes -- letter, Oct. 4) says Mr. Nicholls should either get off his couch or be prepared to pay for his own angioplasty.

There's an obvious way out of this dilemma -- it's time to take another look at a health tax on unhealthy food.

Surely we can find a way to apply an additional tax on candy, soft drinks, chips, or anything containing trans fats, regardless of where they're sold. After all, we've found a way to exempt "grocery" items from sales taxes.

While we're at it, we could look at taxes on other non-essential products that contribute to a sedentary lifestyle or drive up health-care costs in some way: lawn chemicals, video games, barbecue grills, Teflon-coated pans, etc.

I really hope Mr. Heide is being sarcastic. I mean a "tax on candy" come on!