Do sin taxes work?

# Summary

In this episode, Josh and Chuck explore sin taxes—excise taxes on goods like alcohol, tobacco, and soda that society considers vices—and debate whether they actually work to change behavior or just line government coffers. They trace the history of sin taxes from their role as America's primary revenue source before income tax was introduced, through modern attempts like New York Mayor Bloomberg's failed soda ban and Berkeley's successful penny-per-ounce tax, examining what the evidence really shows about whether making vice products expensive actually prevents people from consuming them. Along the way, they grapple with the uncomfortable truth that governments seem to simultaneously want people to stop smoking and drinking while still depending on the billions in tax revenue these behaviors generate.