The French government, which faces a health-care deficit of 8.3 billion Euros this year, is considering imposing a tax on food and beverage companies whose advertisements don't carry a "health message'" urging people to eat healthier food. The law, being revised in the National Assembly, states that food and beverage companies must put the government-scripted health message on their ads or pay a tax equal to 1.5 percent of their advertising budgets, This law, if adopted in November, will go into effect in April 2006.
