Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax
Sugar-sweetened beverages are major contributors to childhood obesity. A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would generate revenue for supporting health care programs while also reducing consumption.
Latest Resources
- May 17, 2013 Check up: Food companies' idea of healthy draws new heat The nation's largest food and beverage companies are under renewed attack for what critics see as misleading ads for obesity-promoting foods, especially ads aimed at kids.
- May 6, 2013 With obesity epidemic, what’s the best way to get people to eat healthfully? In the effort to get Americans to make healthy eating choices a sugary drink tax may be a good place to start.
- April 24, 2013 A Spoonful of Tax (Makes Obesity Go Down) This op-ed by a medical resident urges California to adopt a sugary drink tax to help combat the obesity epidemic and to provide an extra tool for parents trying to instill healthy habits in their children.
- April 25, 2013 One Soda Per Day Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests A new study based in the United Kingdom indicates that consuming just one sugary drink per days significantly increases individuals risk of developing diabetes.
- April 22, 2013 Evaluating Equity Critiques in Food Policy: The Case of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Given the practical and ethical consideration in reducing obesity, this publication explores the equity critiques on modification to food assistance programs as a way to improve participants' diet.
SSB Tax News
- May 17, 2013 Check up: Food companies' idea of healthy draws new heat The nation's largest food and beverage companies are under renewed attack for what critics see as misleading ads for obesity-promoting foods, especially ads aimed at kids.
- May 6, 2013 With obesity epidemic, what’s the best way to get people to eat healthfully? In the effort to get Americans to make healthy eating choices a sugary drink tax may be a good place to start.
- April 24, 2013 A Spoonful of Tax (Makes Obesity Go Down) This op-ed by a medical resident urges California to adopt a sugary drink tax to help combat the obesity epidemic and to provide an extra tool for parents trying to instill healthy habits in their children.
- March 28, 2013 NYC appeals ruling striking down soda size limit New York City has officially appealed a judge's ruling which prohibited the Board of Public Health rule on sugar sweetened drink size from going into effect earlier this month.
- March 25, 2013 Fizzy soft drink sales fizzle again in 2012 Soda sales have declined slightly in the U.S. according to new beverage industry data. Sales of energy and sports drinks, however, continue to rise.
- March 12, 2013 Minority Groups and Bottlers Team Up in Battles Over Soda Many African Americans and Hispanic organizations oppose the Bloomberg administration's soft drink proposal, because of perceived impacts on low income communities.
- March 11, 2013 Judge Halts New York City Soda Ban A day before the city rules are set to take effect on March 12, a NY Supreme Court Judge halts the implementation of the rules; the soda ban in New York City is one of Mayor Bloomberg's actions towards reducing obesity in the city.
- February 20, 2013 Critics, city debate delaying NYC soda-size rule Industry and business groups opposed to New York's sugary drink size limit are seeking an injunction against the rule until the lawsuit challenging it is decided.
- December 19, 2012 Why a tax on alcohol and soda makes sense This post from the Center for Science in the Public Interest discusses the fiscal and health benefits of taxes on sugary drinks and alcohol and the specific implications these taxes would have for the current fiscal negotiations.
- December 9, 2012 Gulp! The high cost of Big Soda's victory An examination of the total cost of the beverage industry's campaign against sugary drink taxes in California and how that money could have been used to improve child health and reduce obesity.
- December 12, 2012 Sugar-sweetened drink tax: Effective deterrent or unfair cost? Vermont advocates are calling attention to the state's rising obesity rates and suggesting a tax on sugary drinks as one way to combat the problem while also raising needed health care revenue.
- November 4, 2012 Soda tax would boost health of Latinos, blacks, study says Despite continued resistance by the beverage industry, a American Public Health Association study shows that if penny-per-ounce tax was applied to soda, health of Black and Latino populations would improve with fewer cases of diabetes and obesity.
- October 28, 2012 El Monte soda tax plan faces crush by beverage industry Despite the city facing the possibility of insolvency, and also having the highest rates of childhood obesity in the state, the Mayor of El Monte's soda tax plan has been met by serious opposition from the beverage industry.
- October 19, 2012 How health campaigns are shaking up the soda market Public education and taxation efforts on sugary drinks are impacting the way Americans view and consume soda.
- October 16, 2012 The Domino Theory, Redux An opinion piece proposes a soda tax domino effect that proponents of public health can get behind in advocating for the most effective measure to reverse the obesity epidemic; states are most likely to follow suit on a soda tax.
- October 10, 2012 Cinemark joins American Beverage Association in funding opposition to Measure N A Texas cinema chain with locations in California has joined the American Beverage Association in sponsoring opposition ads against the city of Richmond's proposal to tax sugary drinks.
- October 9, 2012 Will Youth Bubble Up for Richmond, CA “Soda Tax” Vote Despite Industry Millions to Fizzle It? Youth in Richmond, CA share their opinions about the proposed soda tax; many of them recognize the dangers of sweetened beverages on public health as well as the implications on small businesses.
- October 8, 2012 Pepsi and Coke to Post Calories of Drinks Sold in Vending Machines In response to soda tax and education efforts Coke and Pepsi have begun a pilot program of labeling the calories of different beverages in their vending machines.
- September 17, 2012 New York's soda limits could boost similar efforts in California Advocates in California hope the soda restriction by New York's Mayor Bloomberg is an opportunity for the same action in the state of California. Already, CA cities, Richmond and El Monte have put soda tax measures on the ballot this November.
- September 14, 2012 Health Panel Approves Restriction on Sale of Large Sugary Drinks Mayor Bloomberg's restriction on the sale of large sugary drinks to curb obesity was approved by the Health Board which voted 8 to 0 despite a new campaign from the soda industry.
- September 13, 2012 Senators Ask Surgeon General To Study Link Between Sugary Drinks & Obesity Senators from New Jersey, Connecticut, and Oregon are asking the Surgeon General to investigate the role sugar sweetened beverages play in obesity.
- September 11, 2012 Don’t Ban Big Gulps, Tax them instead. A new study indicates beverage consumers may be more price sensitive then earlier thought, meaning a tax on sugar sweetened beverages may have an even greater impact on consumption.
- August 21, 2012 Soda and Tobacco Industry Corporate Social Responsibility Campaigns: How Do They Compare? This article discusses the importance of public health advocates educating the public and policymakers about the negative effects of soda and sugary beverages in the face of industry social service campaigns.
- July 24, 2012 Public hearing set on proposed NY sugary drink ban Though city officials state that Bloomberg's proposed ban on large sugary beverages will save both lives and money, the ban has raised strong feelings opposition for some New Yorkers. Both sides will have a chance to testify at a public hearing.
- July 20, 2012 Rep. Rosa DeLauro: Congress Should Consider Federal Tax on Soda Pop Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut says that Congress should look at imposing a federal tax on soda and other sugary drinks, as this is what she believes to be a "critical issue" in terms of nutrition.
- July 16, 2012 Tax sugary drinks? Here’s how to spend the money The AMA says revenue from taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages should be directed to aid efforts designed to trim the nation’s bulging waistline.
- July 3, 2012 Cancer group asks U.S. to study sugary drinks, obesity The American Cancer Society's advocacy affiliate is calling for a Surgeon General's report on sugar sweetened beverages, asking for a comprehensive review along the lines of the U.S. top doctor's landmark report on the dangers of smoking in 1964.
- July 3, 2012 The Masterminds Behind the Phony Anti-Soda Tax Coalitions This article details efforts by the beverage industry to oppose sugar sweetened beverage taxes by using front groups with claims of consumer support.
- June 20, 2012 Soda taxes endorsed by AMA as a way to fight obesity The American Medical Assn. voted to adopt a policy that recognizes soda taxes as one way to pay for antiobesity programs, and that says any such tax revenue should go to programs to treat obesity and related conditions.
- June 18, 2012 Cambridge mulling soda ban similar to New York City proposal The Cambridge mayor has proposed limiting the size of sodas and sugar-sweetened beverages, much like Mayor Bloomberg has proposed for New York City. However the idea received mixed reviews from other city officials.
- June 11, 2012 Obesity Ills That Won’t Budge Fuel Soda Battle by Bloomberg Despite efforts to battle the obesity epidemic in the Bronx, the number of overweight and obese continue to grow faster there than anywhere else in NYC. The Bronx and other neighborhoods like it was the motivation for Mayor Bloomberg's new soda policy.
- June 12, 2012 Breaking Down the Industry Attacks on the Proposed Bloomberg Soda Ban A look at the beverage industry's response to New York's proposal to eliminate the sale of certain large sugar sweetened beverages.
- June 7, 2012 Health advocates gather in DC for National Soda Summit It may be called soda or pop, but at the first ever National Soda Summit in D.C, it was known as “public health enemy number one.” Health care experts came together last Thursday with goal of limiting sugary drinks and promoting a healthy lifestyle.
- June 1, 2012 Childhood Obesity Weighs Heavily on EDs Overweight children are 20% more likely to visit the emergency department (ED) than normal-weight children. As rates of childhood obesity continue to increase in the US, the demands on EDs will be greater, particularly in care of chronic conditions.
- June 1, 2012 Why ban soda when you can tax it? Sarah Kliff looks at New York's proposal to ban the sale of certain sized sugar sweetened beverages and discusses why a tax might be more effective at reducing consumption and improving health.
- May 30, 2012 New York Plans to Ban Sale of Big Sizes of Sugary Drinks New York City Mayor Bloomberg is pushing to ban certain sales of any sugar sweetened beverages larger than 16 fluid ounces under a first-in-the-nation plan, which could take effect as soon as next March.
- May 8, 2012 The ABCs of Beating Obesity The Institute of Medicine has released a report on multiple strategies for combating obesity. An excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages is among the top line recommendations.
- April 29, 2012 Are We Making Progress on Costs & Obesity? Let’s Step It Up… John McDonough calls on Massachusetts to lift the sales tax exemption on sugar sweetened beverages as a means of controlling health care costs and increasing public health.
- April 27, 2012 Special Report: How Washington went soft on childhood obesity Reuters reports that in the political arena, one side is winning the war on child obesity. At every level of government, the food and beverage industries won fight after fight during the last decade.
- April 11, 2012 Soda tax draws controversy Rhode Island lawmakers held a hearing on Tuesday on a bill which would impose a penny per ounce tax on sugar sweetened beverages. The bill is supported by the Alliance for a Healthier Rhode Island as an effort to combat childhood obesity.
- April 1, 2012 Is sugar toxic? This 60-Minutes report explores research on sugar and its contributions to a host of serious health conditions as well as its possible addictive qualities.
- April 4, 2012 Poll shows support for soda tax to fight obesity A new poll of California voters shows strong support for a tax on sugar sweetened beverages if the revenues are utilized to combat childhood obesity.
- March 13, 2012 Anti-Obesity Soda Tax Fails as Lobbyists Spend Millions: Retail Lobbyists for beverage companies are responding forcefully and with heavy spending to proposals across the U.S. to tax sugar sweetened beverages, including proposals in Mississippi and Hawaii.
- February 23, 2012 Sugar sweetened drinks linked to obesity, health problems Under the leadership of the Boston Public Health Commission, 10 Boston-area hospitals have pledged to implement several new measures to contribute to the city's ongoing efforts to to reduce the consumption of soda and sugar-sweetened beverages.
- February 1, 2012 Call For A National Campaign Against Sugar Researchers, providers, and advocates highlight the dangers of Americans' high consumption of sugar and argue that taxes on sugar sweetened beverages, among other measures could improve the problem.
- December 29, 2011 France approves soda tax France's Constitutional Council has approved an additional tax on soda as part of the country's efforts to curb obesity. The measure will also increase national revenue.
- December 15, 2011 Teens who see calorie info. buy fewer sugary drinks Research published in the American Journal of Public Health shows that when teens see signs alerting them to the caloric impact of sugar-sweetened beverages they are 40 to 50 percent less likely to purchase those beverages.
- December 15, 2011 Pediatricians launch campaign to tax sugary drinks at State House event Pediatricians gathered at the Massachusetts State House to urge legislators to adopt a tax on sugar sweetened beverages. The pediatricians were joined by individuals from the Boston Foundation and the Healthy People Healthy Economy campaign.
- September 1, 2011 Health advocates launch anti-soda campaign The Center for Science in the Public Interest is launching a campaign to reduce the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages as a means of improving public health outcomes and containing health care costs. Boston is one of the campaign's target cities.
- August 31, 2011 Teen Boys Drink 273 Calories of Sugary Drinks Per Day A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Americans consume significant amounts of sugar sweetened beverages with teen boys being among the highest consumers.
- August 25, 2011 New report on policy options for regulation of sugar sweetened beverages A new report from the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity outlines policy options for regulating sugar sweetened beverages to support public health.
- August 25, 2011 'Straw' poll: Income divides soda drinkers A new study of New York city residents indicates that individuals in low income neighborhood consume more sugar sweetened beverages than those in higher income neighborhoods. The study also demonstrated that overall consumption has declined recently.
- August 23, 2011 Less soda, thinner kids A Boston Globe editorial, commenting on the Boston schools system's ban on sugar sweetened beverages, encourages all schools to enact the ban and other anti-junk food measures ahead of a mandated national ban next year.
- August 19, 2011 U.S. Rejects Mayor’s Plan to Ban Use of Food Stamps to Buy Soda The U.S. Department of Agriculture has denied a request by New York city to ban use of federal supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP), or food stamps, funds for purchasing soda. The measure was a controversial attempt to reduce obesity.
- August 9, 2011 Study: Boston schools’ sugary drinks ban paid off A new study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that Boston public school students are consuming fewer sugary drinks both at home and in school since the 2004 enactment of a ban on selling sugar sweetened beverages on school property.
- August 1, 2011 Soda is Cheap and Staying Cheap This graph depicts the cost of soda relative to the consumer price index and the cost of fresh produce. It also demonstrates the revenue potential from a tax on sugar sweetened beverages.
- July 23, 2011 Bad Food? Tax It, and Subsidize Vegetables This op-ed discusses the part sugar sweetened beverages play in the obesity epidemic facing the U.S., particularly children, and the role taxes on these beverages could play in shaping consumer decisions and raising needed revenues for health programs.
- July 29, 2011 Taxing sugary drinks should be key tool in fighting obesity We need to use every policy tool at our disposal to address this issue, and taxing sugary beverages is a good start.
- July 28, 2011 Americans Cut Back on Sugar Sweetened Beverages A new study by Emory University finds that Americans are consuming less sugar than they were in 2000. The reduction comes mainly from drinking fewer sodas and sugar sweetened beverages with researchers linking the drop to economic and health concerns.
- July 21, 2011 Epidemic of Obesity in U.S. Kids Began in Late '90s A new report points to increases in adolescent BMI beginning in the 1990s and rising steadily since then. The study did not address causes although the authors discuss possible factors as well as health impacts as these adolescents become adults.
- July 6, 2011 Research conflicted on benefits of soda tax in fighting obesity Researchers discuss findings around the impact that sugar-sweetened beverage taxes have on soda consumption.
- June 17, 2011 Teens skimp on exercise, but not sodas: CDC Roughly two-thirds of high school students drank at least one sugary beverage a day, including soda, sports drinks like Gatorade and other sweetened beverages.
- May 11, 2011 Poll finds support for soda tax The Boston Foundation, the largest public charity in New England is working to apply the state sales tax to soda and candy, a measure aimed at raising revenue and curbing consumption.
- April 26, 2011 Poll Shows Support for Tax If Funds Directed to Health Care Programs Vermonters were asked if they supported a proposed one-cent per ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. 27-point-6 percent strongly oppose the idea, while 27-point-2 percent strongly favor it.
- February 13, 2010 Soda: A Sin We Sip Instead of Smoke? This New York Times Article asks, "is soda the new tobacco?"
- November 5, 2009 Three Reasons to Support a Soda Tax The Atlantic article presents three reasons why a small tax on sugary soda drinks would be a really good idea.
Our Materials
- November 15, 2010 Challenges Facing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Campaigns Three brief case studies of recent SSB tax campaigns, which serve to highlight the challenges faced in moving an SSB tax proposal forward.
- November 15, 2010 Rationale for a New England Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Campaign A regional SSB tax would address three current children’s health care priorities: (1) raising revenue for states, (2) combating the childhood obesity epidemic, and (3) establishing a new funding source for CHIP, which is set to expire in 2015.
- October 5, 2010 Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Policy Brief A four page brief on the four key decision points that must be addressed related to a sugar-sweetened beverage tax.
Data & Research
- April 25, 2013 One Soda Per Day Raises Diabetes Risk, Study Suggests A new study based in the United Kingdom indicates that consuming just one sugary drink per days significantly increases individuals risk of developing diabetes.
- April 22, 2013 Evaluating Equity Critiques in Food Policy: The Case of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Given the practical and ethical consideration in reducing obesity, this publication explores the equity critiques on modification to food assistance programs as a way to improve participants' diet.
- March 14, 2013 Energy drinks: An emerging public health hazard for youth This new publication from Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity, Yale Univ. examines the emerging risk for youth--energy drinks; inconsistency and lack of regulation on labeling and high levels of caffeine and sugar pose a health threat to youth.
- March 10, 2013 Sodas are bad for children: Study says definitively Research from UNC offers evidence that sugary beverages are a gateway to unhealthy foods; kids who drink more soda are susceptible to cavities and seek unhealthy food with higher caloric intake.
- January 17, 2013 Sugar-Sweetened Beverages — Polling Results Results from a poll by the New England Journal of Medicine show 68% of voters from 75 countries favored government regulation of sugary beverages to help reduce obesity in kids (58% voters from the US and 84% from other countries).
- January 1, 2013 Brain image study: Fructose may spur overeating A new study shows fructose a type of sweetener commonly used in sugary drinks interferes with the brain's ability to regulate food consumption and feelings of fullness, leading to overeating.
- September 26, 2012 Hidden fat-maker in a "healthy" drink New studies show increased use of sports drinks by adolescents while also demonstrating that such drinks may be more harmful for weight gain then sodas.
- September 21, 2012 Avoiding Sugared Drinks Limits Weight Gain in Two Studies Clinical trials published by the New England Journal of Medicine provide strong evidence in support of efforts to reduce consumption of sugared beverages; showing that limiting access to sugar-sweetened beverages helps reduce obesity in children.
- September 18, 2012 Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption: New York State Children Aged 2-17 Years, 2009-2010 A briefing by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) shows resutls from a survey; data collected in 2009 and 2010 indicate more than 30 percent of NYS children consume SSBs at least once a day.
- May 8, 2012 Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention Report from the Institute of Medicine with recommendations on how to combat obesity in the U.S.
- March 20, 2012 U.S. soda consumption fell faster in 2011 New data reveals that carbonated soft-drinks are playing a declining role in Americans' sugar-sweetened beverage consumption while bottled beverage sales - such as juices, teas and sport drinks - continue to rise.
- March 17, 2012 More bad news for soda drinkers A study from researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Children’s Hospital Boston indicates that drinking sugar sweetened beverages raised the heart attack risk of men studied by as much as 20%.
- January 9, 2012 New Study Predicts Nationwide Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages Would Prevent Thousands of Heart Attacks, Strokes and Cases of Diabetes Researchers at Columbia University and the University of California, concluded that a penny-per-ounce tax would reduce consumption of sugary drinks by 15 percent among adults and in ten years would prevent thousands of strokes and deaths.
- November 5, 2011 Rage ensues as study shows soda ads target minorities Community members and legislators in New York have responded angrily to findings that soda companies aggressively target minority youth in marketing campaigns. The study was conducted by the Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity.
- October 31, 2011 Despite industry promises, Yale study finds unprecedented marketing of sugary drinks to youth A new study from Yale University Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity found that teens exposure to soda ads increased dramatically in the past two years and that soda manufacturers are targeting minority youth.
- June 28, 2011 SSB Tax Legislation Filed in 2011 (Yale Rudd Center) A map of the 15 states that filed SSB tax legislation in 2011 (as of May 2011).
- March 26, 2011 Estimating the potential of taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages to reduce consumption and generate revenue (Preventive Medicine) A method for estimating revenues from an excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages that governments of various levels could direct towards obesity prevention.
- May 1, 2010 Soda Taxes, Soft Drink Consumption, And Children’s Body Mass Index (Health Affairs) This article examines the link between SSB taxes and reduced rates of consumption.
- October 15, 2009 The Public Health and Economic Benefits of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (New England Journal of Medicine) This journal article suggests that a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would have strong positive effects on reducing consumption and the potential to generate substantial revenue to prevent obesity and address other external costs.
- October 14, 2009 Soft Drink Taxes (Yale Rudd Center) A policy brief with arguments for SSB taxes and policy recommendations to consider when planning an SSB tax campaign.
- October 6, 2009 Taxing Sugared Beverages Would Help Trim State Budget Deficits, Consumers’ Bulging Waistlines, and Health Care Costs (Center for Science in the Public Interest) A four-page brief on how states and consumers would benefit from sugar-sweetened beverage taxes.
- April 30, 2009 Ounces of Prevention — The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages (New England Journal of Medicine) This journal article found that sugar-sweetened beverages may be the single largest driver of the obesity epidemic.
Other Resources
- November 26, 2012 Diabetes and Sweetener Link Scrutinized New study cites that countries with a high level of fructose corn syrup in food supplies have high occurrence of type 2 diabetes. The study faces criticism from the Corn Refiners Association and other scholars who argue against the results.
- November 5, 2012 Kansas City hospital bans sugary drinks, soda Kansas City Children's Hospital is the first hospital in Kansas City metro to implement a ban to fight childhood obesity; the hospital banned sales of soda and sugar-filled juices from its cafeteria, gift shop and vending machines.
- May 15, 2012 Soda Makers Scramble to Fill Void as Sales Drop As schools and local governments take steps to decrease Americans' sugar-laden soda consumption, companies such as Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have been forced to find new strategies for maintaining revenues.
- July 13, 2011 Center for Science in the Public Interest Information on the harmful effects of soda and the benefits of taxing SSBs.
- July 1, 2011 Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity The Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity is a non-profit research and public policy organization devoted to improving the world’s diet, preventing obesity, and reducing weight stigma.
