One of my classes in high school did a unit of debating, and among the topics was the legitimacy of sin taxes. Something peculiar is in play when a government entity takes more of your money for your own good, and not surprisingly, the scope of taxable sins is apt to expand:

One week after a White House task force suggested that raising taxes on sugary drinks might help combat childhood obesity, Rhode Island’s House Finance Committee will hold a hearing on a bill that would levy a new tax on soda.
The measure would make Rhode Island consumers pay a 5-cent tax on every soft drink they buy and 10 cents on each such beverage larger than 20 ounces.

Far be it from me to suspect the motives of our good legislators, but given the flow of this tax money, I can’t help but recall that the state has been trying to cut its aid to cities and towns:

It is not clear how much money the proposed tax would raise, but the bill would funnel all such revenue to the city or town where the drink was sold. The resulting funds could be used to establish or maintain local recreational facilities, jogging paths and the like, [State Rep. Edith] Ajello [D, Providence] said.