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Science has repeatedly shown that many people consume much more sugar than they should, and that consumption can have devastating effects on health. Some governments have taken the habit of taxing sugar to reduce the amount that people choose to eat and drink. That sounds like a reasonable answer, but does it work?
New research published in the journal PLoS Medicine found that, at least in Chile, a small increase in taxes on sweetened beverages is correlated with fewer sales.
![Soda [19659004] The soda bottles are displayed in a cooler on June 29, 2018 in San Francisco, California. Chile adopted a small tax on sweetened drinks like these in 2014. </span> <span clbad=](http://s.newsweek.com/sites/www.newsweek.com/files/styles/embed-lg/public/2018/07/04/soda.jpg)
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
Before 2014, Chile had a tax of 13% sale on drinks regardless of their content. Then, a 2014 law increased the sales tax for sugary drinks to 18 percent and lowered the tax on unsweetened drinks to 10 percent. Chile defined "sweet" beverages as those containing 6.25 grams or more of sugar per 100 milliliters of liquid, and unsweetened beverages below this threshold.
The idea was to encourage consumers to choose the healthiest option, especially among groups with lower incomes, who tend to drink more sugary drinks.
Using the purchase data of three years before the tax and a year after the tax, the researchers found that purchasing trends had changed. On average, people in Chile bought 21.6% fewer soft drinks in volume. Surprisingly, the tax has affected more deeply the high socio-economic groups, who bought 31% less sweet drinks. Low socio-economic groups bought only 12 percent less.
Researchers say this change is small. It is difficult to equate change in buying choices with tax, or if another factor such as public health education has prompted people to buy fewer sugary drinks.
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However, even a small change – anything that inspires it – can have a big impact. "From a public health perspective, even a small reduction in sugar consumption at the population level could result in significant health gains," said Cristobal Cuadrado of the School of Public Health of the 39, University of Chile.
Although it may seem obvious that the perception of a tax on an unhealthy product will likely reduce its consumption, it is important that researchers do statistical badyzes to understand the effectiveness of these laws. . In the future, governments wishing to decide where they should collect their own tax may turn to this study and others to determine if they want to try the tax themselves.
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