Philadelphia’s Sweetened Drink Sales Drop 38 Percent After Beverage Tax: WebDentistry: Home of SmileFinder!
Summary
The results, published this week in JAMA , translate to almost one billion fewer ounces of sugary or artificially sweetened beverages - about 83 million cans of soda - purchased in the Philadelphia area. The findings provide more evidence to suggest beverage taxes can help reduce consumption of sugary drinks, which are linked to the rise in obesity and its related non-communicable diseases, such as type II diabetes. On January 1, 2017, Philadelphia became the second city in the United States to implement a tax on the distribution of sugary and artificially sweetened beverages. The goal of the 1.5 cent per ounce tax was to generate revenue to support universal pre-K, community schools, and improvements to parks and recreation centers, with the potential side benefit of curbing consumption of unhealthy drinks. One year after the tax was implemented, the cost of sugary and artificially sweetened drinks increased by 0.65, 0.87, and 1.56 cents per ounce at supermarkets, mass merchandisers, and pharmacies, respectively.