“beverages with natural or artificial sweeteners that contains less than 100 percent juice, less than 50 percent milk, soy, rice or similar milk substitutes or coffee substitutes, coffee, cocoa or tea.”
I do however see one potential loophole for Coca Cola. This article says the distributor or retailer pay the tax. As Coca Cola is often sold as concentrated syrup (e.g. to restaurants) and the tax is by volume, they could cut down significantly on the tax depending on whether they have to pay for the consumable end product or the syrup sold by distributors.
Coca Cola doesn't have sugar in it. DemoKKKrats placed a high tariff on sugar.
It has high fructose corn syrup in it, which is unhealthy.
DemoKKKrats are the reason that unhealthy high fructose corn syrup is in so many products.
If they really cared about people's health, they'd remove the tariffs on sugar.
Their definition of "sugary drink" goes beyond old fashioned sugar: https://thedcpost.com/washington-dc-new-tax-on-sodas-and-sugary-drinks/ (article on existing sugary drink tax)
I do however see one potential loophole for Coca Cola. This article says the distributor or retailer pay the tax. As Coca Cola is often sold as concentrated syrup (e.g. to restaurants) and the tax is by volume, they could cut down significantly on the tax depending on whether they have to pay for the consumable end product or the syrup sold by distributors.