According a study from the University of Berkeley in California (United States) published in the journal Plos One, the implementation of the soda tax in 2014 seems to be bearing fruit.
The city of Berkeley was the first to adopt this tax, which had the primary objective of reducing the consumption of sugary drinks and therefore having an impact on obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The researchers found that a year after the introduction of this tax, the sale of sugary drinks had decreased by 10% and that of mineral water increased by around 16%. Sales of unsweetened tea, milk and fruit juices also increased.
Extend the tax to low-income cities
“We are very surprised by the results of this study because Berkeley is not the least affluent city in the United States. So we did not think that introducing an additional tax would have such a deterrent effect” says Dr. Barry Popkin, lead author of the study. The scientist therefore believes that this tax would have an even greater effect in low-income cities. “In Mexico, which adopted a similar tax in 2014, the consumption of sugary drinks immediately fell by 17%,” he points out.
However, it is still too early to tell if taxes on sodas translate into better health for the population. According to the study authors, it will probably take a few years before an effect on diabetes or obesity rates is noticeable.
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