Impact of the Berkeley excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverage consumption

J. Falbe, H.R. Thompson, C.M. Becker, N. Rojas, C.E. McCulloch and K.A. Madsen

American Journal of Public Health, 2016, vol. 106, issue 10, 1865-1871

Abstract: Objectives. To evaluate the impact of the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption in Berkeley, California, which became the first US jurisdiction to implement such a tax ($0.01/oz) in March 2015. Methods. We used a repeated cross-sectional design to examine changes in pre- to post tax beverage consumption in low-income neighborhoods in Berkeley versus in the comparison cities of Oakland and San Francisco, California. A beverage frequency questionnaire was interviewer administered to 990 participants before the tax and 1689 after the tax (approximately 8 months after the vote and 4 months after implementation) to examine relative changes in consumption. Results. Consumption of SSBs decreased 21% in Berkeley and increased 4% in comparison cities (P = .046). Water consumption increased more in Berkeley (+63%) than in comparison cities (+19%; P

Keywords: California; city; cross-sectional study; fluid intake; human; lowest income group; major clinical study; neighborhood; public health; questionnaire; sugar-sweetened beverage; tax; adult; beverage; commercial phenomena; drinking behavior; economics; female; male; middle aged; statistics and numerical data; sugar intake; supply and distribution; trends, sugar intake; sweetening agent, Adult; Beverages; California; Commerce; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dietary Sucrose; Drinking Behavior; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sweetening Agents; Taxes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (66)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2016.303362_7

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2016.303362

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