Adherence
Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increase retail prices by 43-100% of the tax amount, leading to a significant decrease in SSB sales and overall consumption among adults.
Implementing a tax on sugary drinks raises their price, which effectively reduces consumption among adults. Policymakers should design taxes to maximize pass-through to consumers and consider broader tax scopes to minimize unhealthy substitutions.
The evidence indicates that the amount by which taxes increase retail prices (also called the pass-through of the tax) varies by jurisdiction, ranging from less than 50% to 100% of the tax. Sales tend to decrease significantly in the taxing jurisdiction... Overall, taxes lower consumption of the taxed beverages by adults, although not for all types of beverages or all groups of consumers.
Why this rating
Based on multiple difference-in-differences studies with geographic control groups, though some studies lacked control groups or had small cluster sizes.
Source
The Economics of Taxes on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: A Review of the Effects on Prices, Sales, Cross-Border Shopping, and Consumption
John Cawley et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2019
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