The nation’s first sugar tax (one cent per ounce) in Berkeley, California has led to a decline in soft drink consumption, a new study shows.
Furthermore, the sugar tax raised $1.4 million for child nutrition and community health programs.
If someone in Berkeley buys a 12-ounce soda, 365 days a year, they are spending a little over $40* more annually due to the new tax.
The American Heart Association’s CEO, Nancy Brown, has applauded the tax on sugary drinks and the follow-up study.
Two years after implementation of a peso-per-liter tax in Mexico, consumption of sugary drinks decreased 9.7% and sales of non-sugary drinks increased by 2.1%.
If a soda tax stuck nationally as it has in Mexico, it could mean savings billions in health care expenditures.
*Editor’s note: A former version of this article read that the extra cost of soft drinks with the tax inclusion was $400. »