At long last, health-conscious Americans are realizing that soft drinks are bogus and add nothing but calories to their lives. A report by Beverage Digest shows that, for the first time in 20 years, the number of cases of soda sold in the U.S. declined in 2005.

According to reports, the average can of Coke or Pepsi contains 250 calories and 67 grams of sugar. Ugh. Who needs that? Obviously, soda will never go away. But, I’m hoping that we’ll start to see "sin" taxes placed on soda sales a la cigarettes since both are unhealthy (obviously, one can’t equate the empty calories in soda to the toxic, health-threatening ingredients of the average cigarette). That said, soda is a "big" part of the overall child obesity epidemic in America and around the world.

So, what do the Cokes and Pepsis do (Dew?) with declining sales staring them in the face? Probably exactly what their kin in tobacco have done: initiate consumer education programs aimed at young people that warn our kids about the risks associated with the consumption of soda. After all, why do we need soda? It would be the right thing to do and a smart defense for a totally defenseless product.

Schools have started to replace soda in their cafeterias and business should follow suit. I’m sure some public health group could spit out statistics proving the positive, bottom-line impact of a soda-free workplace. And just think of the new, trimmer waistlines we’d see as a result. Just thinking about it makes me want to reach for the nearest bottle of S. Pellegrino.