The Untapped Power of Soda Taxes: Incentivizing Consumers, Generating Revenue, and Altering Corporate Behavior

Abstract

<span>Globally, soda taxes are gaining momentum as powerful interventions to discourage sugar consumption and <span>thereby reduce the growing burden of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Evidence from early <span>adopters including Mexico and Berkeley, California, confirms that soda taxes can disincentivize consumption <span>through price increases and raise revenue to support government programs. The United Kingdom's new <span>graduated levy on sweetened beverages is yielding yet another powerful impact: soda manufacturers are <span>reformulating their beverages to significantly reduce the sugar content. Product reformulation – whether <span>incentivized or mandatory – helps reduce overconsumption of sugars at the societal level, moving away from <span>the long-standing notion of individual responsibility in favor of collective strategies to promote health. But as <span>a matter of health equity, soda product reformulation should occur globally, especially in low- and middleincome countries (LMICs), which are increasingly targeted as emerging markets for soda and junk food and are <span>disproportionately impacted by NCDs. As global momentum for sugar reduction increases, governments and <span>public health advocates should harness the power of soda taxes to tackle the economic, social, and informational <span>drivers of soda consumption, driving improvements in food environments and the public's health.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></span>