Question

Claim: Sugary drinks such as soda should be taxed at a higher rate than other drinks to discourage people from making unhealthy choices.

Counterclaim: Increasing the price of sugary drinks will not decrease the amount of people who buy and drink them.

Which is the most effective rebuttal to this counterclaim?

Studies have shown that if the price of sugary drinks increased by 10 percent, sales would decrease by 10–12 percent.
People have the right to make their own decisions when it comes to what food and drinks they consume.
Research has shown that persuading people to make healthier choices is about education, not raising prices to try to force a different choice.
Although individual choice is important, increasing the price of sugary drinks will have an overall positive effect on our health.

Answer 1

"Studies have shown that if the price of sugary drinks increased by 10 percent, sales would decrease by 10–12 percent."

Why: it directly contradicts the counterclaim with empirical evidence (price elasticity of demand ≈ −1), showing higher prices do reduce purchases. Real-world soda taxes (e.g., Mexico, Berkeley) produced measurable declines in sugary drink purchases, supporting this rebuttal.