Since implementing a new beverage tax at the start of 2017, Philadelphians are about 40% less likely than residents of nearby cities to have a soda, and are 58% more likely to drink bottled water daily. Read more here.
In addition to reformulating many of their bubbly drinks so that they avoid the UK’s upcoming soda tax, Coca Cola is introducing 3 new still drinks that will all have sugar levels low enough to avoid the tax. Read more here.
“Soda Wars” are not an exclusively American issue. In Colombia, backlash against Educar Consumidores – an organization leading the push for a 20% tax on sugary drinks – has gone as far as personal harassment. Though an extreme example, this situation is represents the “clash of science, politics, and money” surrounding the …
On October 10, the Cook County, Illinois soda tax was officially repealed by a 15-2 committee vote. The decision came after a “bitter clash” between the soda industry and and public health proponents. The tax – which was the sixth of its kind in the nation – was surrounded by …
On October 1, a 50% tax on soda and a 100% tax on cigarettes and energy drinks went into effect in the United Arab Emirates. Other countries – including the United States – will be waiting to see whether the tax will have an effect on the countries’ rising rates …
The Cook County soda tax repeal vote has been pushed to October 10, giving both sides an extra month to advertise on TV and radio. A combined $6.4 million has been committed to this issue by the Can the Tax Coalition and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Read more …
The “Can the Tax Coalition” is spending $1.4 million dollars on television ads in anticipation of a vote to repeal the soda tax in Cook County, Illinois. The coalition is funded by the American Beverage Association, which is made up of industry giants such as Coca Cola and Pepsi Co. …
Berkeley, California was the first US city to pass a penny-per-ounce sugar-sweetened beverage tax in January 2015. A study published in April 2017 found that in the year following the tax’s implementation, sales of sugar sweetened beverages declined significantly (by 9.6%) as did self-reported consumption. Sales of untaxed beverages (such …