Two Dollar Tree stores in Berkeley, Calif., have removed sugary drinks and soft drinks from their shelves, as a soda tax passed in the city last November and going into effect on Jan. 1, 2015, will force them to raise the price of the items above $1. Berkeley is the first city in the United States to have passed a soda tax, with other cities expected to follow in the coming years.

Dollar Tree is a retail chain with over 5,000 stores scattered throughout the United States. The retailer offers a multitude of products ranging anywhere from toys for the kids, to cleaning supplies for the kitchen, to a variety of food products for $1 or under. The company also offers a website, where consumers can make purchases over the world wide web and buy products in bulk.

Measure D, more commonly known as the soda tax measure, passed in November 2014 with three quarters of voters supporting the measure. The measure went into effect on Jan. 1, placing an additional cent per ounce tax on soft drinks, after which the retail stores started to take the sugary drinks down from their shelves. Dollar Tree stores say the tax makes it impossible for the store to keep their price of $1 on the beverages. The tax aims to cease the intake of energy drinks, sodas, and other sugary drinks that are thought to be connected with obesity and Type 2 diabetes in the U.S.

A wide of array of other sugary substances can still be found at the Berkeley Dollar Tree stores, but customers will no longer be able to find soft drinks or other liquid consumables packed with sugar, with the exception of fruit juices that are not affected by the newly imposed tax according to Nosh, an East bay news website focusing on food. The two stores still carry several types of sugary candies, along with ice creams, and other foods packed with sugar.

Previously, the city of San Francisco, had tried to pass a similar tax that would have placed a tax on soda at 2 cents an ounce, the day before. Only a majority vote was needed for the tax to pass in Berkely, meaning that only 50 percent of voters had to vote for the passage of the tax. Berkeley is the first to have several other measures pass, that then become the norm of several other cities in the United States, which include benefits for domestic partners, voluntary integration of public schools, and the banning of Styrofoam cups.

Although the city placed an additional tax on sodas and other beverages high in sugar, finding sugar through other resources is an easy possibility. The beverage is still available in other stores, but it is not as easily accessible. The higher price may make consumers think twice about buying the product, and attempt to encourage them to make healthier choices that will aid in wiping out the obesity epidemic in the United States. In time, if other cities are to pass comparable measures, it is hoped that a decrease in Type 2 Diabetes may be seen.