Study Reveals Sales of Sugary Beverages Fall in Philadelphia with Tax on Soft Drinks

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In 2017, Philadelphia became the second American city put a tax on sugary drinks and sodas. As a result of the tax, sales of these drinks fell by 51% the first year, according to a study published Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA.

The study compared the costs and sales of beverages in Philadelphia – following the application of the 1.5 cents per ounce tax – to Baltimore, which has a similar demographics but does not have the same sales tax. With the tax, the drinks in Philadelphia climbed from 5.43 cents an ounce in 2016 to 6.24 cents in 2017. In Baltimore, drinks went from 5.33 cents to just 5.50 cents.

The researchers found that sales of sweetened beverages had declined in Philadelphia following the imposition of the tax, but that sales of beverages in towns and nearby counties without tax increased. This suggests that people may be traveling for their soda at a discounted price. By adjusting this change, the researchers found that sales had dropped by 38% in total.

Half of the population consume sweetened beverages on a given day, according to the CDC. High sugar consumption is linked to Natalie Muth, pediatrician and dietitian in Carlsbad, California, said that type 2 diabetes, fatty liver and hypercholesterolemia in children and adolescents. But they are not the only ones affected by high sugar consumption. In the United States, about 12% of adults live with diabetes. Frequent consumption of sugary drinks has also been associated with a higher risk of premature death.
In March, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association called for policies restricting access to sugary drinks in children and adolescents, including a tax on soft drinks.
Groups of doctors are demanding taxes and regulations for children and # 39; access to sugary drinks

"We tried, and failed, to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks through education and individual choices," said Muth, who was the principal author of the policy statement published in the journal Pediatrics. "Just as policy changes were necessary and effective in reducing tobacco and alcohol consumption, we need changes that will help reduce the consumption of sugary drinks in children and adolescents."

Communities in California and Mexico where a tax on soft drinks has already been put in place have had similar results. According to a study published earlier this year in the American Journal of Public Health, the consumption of sugary drinks declined by more than 50% three years after Berkeley, California, passed a tax on sodas.

Unlike other taxable communities, Philadelphia has not seen an increase in sales of untaxed beverages such as bottled water. The researchers also found that people did not trade their usual soda for liquid and powdered drink concentrates.

This study did not examine changes in the consumption of drinks or the health effects associated with the tax.

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