[cmurf]

This is why we need fact based research to understand these costs, and use a direct tax on those items to recoup those costs from those who engage in those risks.

Go skiing? Well there's a higher tax for the ticket because you have X% higher risk of breaking a leg. Twinkies right now are a grocery food so in fact it has less tax, where it probably should be taxed like booze or cigarettes (in effect a sin tax). Of course sin taxes get abused, where the money goes to the general fund rather than going to mitigation for the undesirable behavior.

[brianwawok]

Then what happens to diet soda? Likely not good for you but no calories. Tax free or same tax as normal cola?

I think for most things we are too stupid to really calculate the extranalaties of products.