Reducing sugar consumption: a taxing problem

Abstract

The popularity of 'soda taxes' as a public health policy has grown rapidly in the last few years. While the evidence suggests that a tax is associated with reducing the purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages is emerging, there are a number of questions that remain, including: understanding possible spill-over effects across the food system, the mechanisms for behaviour change (price versus other effects), extension beyond 'soda', importance of changed product composition versus overall consumption.