A new study has found that a tax on artificially sweetened drinks has significantly reduced consumption among children and teenagers. In Philadelphia, high school students were consuming an average of 5.4 sweetened drinks per week, leading to experts attributing a large portion of the city’s obesity problem to the non-satiating calories in these beverages. In response, the city introduced a tax of 1.5 cents per ounce of sugar in January 2017, which also applies to artificially sweetened drinks like cola. A study published in Health Affairs in 2020 found that this tax had reduced the sale of sweetened drinks by about a third, but did not investigate whether the tax had the desired effect on different age groups.
To address this gap, health economists conducted a new study to determine whether the tax was effective in reducing consumption among young people. They found that, compared to seven other cities without a sugar tax, the consumption of sweetened drinks in Philadelphia had decreased more significantly. In the cities without a tax, consumption had decreased from 4.0 to 3.4 drinks per week between 2013 and 2019, while in Philadelphia it had decreased from 5.4 to 3.9 drinks per week. The study also found that the tax had the strongest effect on children of European descent and obese children, with their consumption decreasing by 1.9 and 1.8 drinks per week, respectively.
Overall, the study provides evidence that a tax on sweetened drinks can be an effective tool in reducing consumption among young people, particularly those at higher risk of obesity. This finding could have important implications for public health policies aimed at reducing the prevalence of obesity and related health problems.
In conclusion, the study highlights the effectiveness of a sugar tax in reducing the consumption of sweetened drinks among young people. The findings suggest that such a tax can be an important tool in addressing the obesity epidemic, particularly among high-risk groups. As policymakers consider strategies to promote healthier diets and reduce the prevalence of obesity, a sugar tax may be a promising option to consider.
