Editor 's note : David Paterson , a Democrat , is governor of New York . New York Gov . David Paterson says taxing soft drinks could help combat obesity . ALBANY , New York ( CNN ) -- Like many New Yorkers , I remember a time when nearly everyone smoked . In 1950 , Collier 's reported that more than three-quarters of adult men smoked . This epidemic had a devastating and long-lasting impact on public health . Today , we find ourselves in the midst of a new public health epidemic : childhood obesity . What smoking was to my parents ' generation , obesity is to my children 's generation . Nearly one out of every four New Yorkers under the age of 18 is obese . In many high-poverty areas , the rate is closer to one out of three . That is why , in the state budget I presented last Tuesday , I proposed a tax on sugared beverages like soda . Research has demonstrated that soft-drink consumption is one of the main drivers of childhood obesity . For example , a study by Harvard researchers found that each additional 12-ounce soft drink consumed per day increases the risk of a child becoming obese by 60 percent . For adults , the association is similar . If we are to succeed in reducing childhood obesity , we must reduce consumption of sugared beverages . That is the purpose of our proposed tax . We estimate that an 18 percent tax will reduce consumption by five percent . Our tax would apply only to sugared drinks -- including fruit drinks that are less than 70 percent juice -- that are nondiet . The $ 404 million this tax would raise next year will go toward funding public health programs , including obesity prevention programs , across New York state . The surgeon general estimates that obesity was associated with 112,000 deaths in the United States every year . Here in New York state , we spend almost $ 6.1 billion on health care related to adult obesity -- the second-highest level of spending in the nation . Last year , legitimate concerns about links between consumption of fast food and the prevalence of heart disease prompted New York City to ban the use of trans fats in restaurant food . No one can deny the urgency of reducing the rate of obesity , including childhood obesity . Obesity causes serious health problems like type 2 diabetes , high blood pressure and high cholesterol . It puts children at much greater risk for life-threatening conditions such as cardiovascular disease and cancer . We must never stigmatize children who are overweight or obese . Yet , for the sake of our children 's health , we have an obligation to address this crisis . I believe we can ultimately curb the obesity epidemic the same way we curbed smoking : through smart public policy . In recent decades , anti-smoking campaigns have raised awareness . Smoking bans have been enacted and enforced . And , perhaps most importantly , we have raised the price of cigarettes . In June , New York state raised the state cigarette tax an additional $ 1.25 . According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids , this increase alone will prevent more than 243,000 kids from smoking , save more than 37,000 lives and produce more than $ 5 billion in health care savings . These taxes may be unpopular , but their benefits are undeniable . Last month , the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that , for the first time in generations , fewer than 20 percent of Americans smoked . Lung cancer rates have finally begun to decline . As a result , we are all healthier . Just as the cigarette tax has helped reduce the number of smokers and smoking-related deaths , a tax on highly caloric , non-nutritional beverages can help reduce the prevalence of obesity . To address the obesity crisis , we need more than just a surcharge on soda . We need to take junk food out of our schools . We need to encourage our children to exercise more . And we need to increase the availability of healthy food in underserved communities . But to make serious progress in this effort , we need to reduce the consumption of high-calorie drinks like nondiet soda among children and adults . I understand that New Yorkers may not like paying a surcharge for their favorite drinks . But surely it 's a small price to pay for our children 's health . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of David Paterson .
Gov . The problem is that the US has a very large military and it can be used to fight wars in other countries but not against them. He says higher cigarette taxes helped drive down the number of smokers . Paterson says obesity causes major health problems and billions in costs . A surcharge on soft drinks is a small price to pay for children 's health , he says .