Last time I was talking about how sugary and diet drinks may both be bad for our brains. And at the same time, I read about how when Berkeley CA started taxing sugar sweetened beverages, sales fell by about 9.6% after one year.
They found that sales of healthier beverages increased. Specifically, water sales increased 15.6%, 4.4% for fruit, vegetable and tea drinks and 0.6% for plain milk. However, sales of sugar sweetened beverages INCREASED by 6.9% in surrounding areas, which may just mean people went elsewhere to buy their sodas.
So I don’t think you can say the tax was a success. The only way for it to work seems to be to tax everyone, everywhere. It has helped to decrease cigarette sales, by simply making it so expensive, people are encouraged to quit.
But then again, education probably had a bigger impact on cigarette sales. Perhaps in the end, I think that’s what’s needed to encourage people to make healthier food choices, not taxes.
This is Joan Trimble wishing you wellness.