Evidence supports taxing sugary drinks for sake of heart health | Courtesy of Shutterstock
+ Regulatory
Amanda Rupp | Aug 24, 2016

Evidence supports taxing sugary drinks for sake of heart health

Nancy Brown, the CEO of the American Heart Association (AHA), recently released comments about new evidence that supports taxing sugary drinks in order to improve Americans’ heart health.

In 2014, California led the U.S. by implementing new policies to improve healthy living; it was the first to add a tax for sugary drinks at one penny per ounce. This raises revenue for enhancing community nutrition and health, according to the AHA.

Researchers recently evaluated whether the new Berkeley tax had any positive impact. Results of the study show that the tax helped low-income residents make decisions that lead to a more heart-healthy lifestyle.

These positive results provide even more support for implementing similar taxes throughout other states and cities in the U.S. This tax is similar to one in Mexico, where low-income families are deciding on healthier drinks more frequently than sugary beverages. The evidence demonstrates that these taxing methods are not as regressive as some have suggested.

“We are delighted to see these early encouraging results affirm what we had believed -- the tax motivated people to drink fewer sugary drinks and more water in the first year,” Brown said.

The new evidence is available in the American Journal of Public Health.

Organizations in this story

More News