In the last decade, eight U.S. cities and dozens of countries have adopted sweetened beverage taxes to generate revenue for community programs and improve health. Penn LDI Senior Fellow Christina Roberto and colleagues recently summarized research findings about the effects of the taxes on health in a policy brief.
While it can be difficult to assess the impacts of a single policy change on health status, there are clear associations between adoption of these taxes and improved dietary behaviors and health. As leaders consider whether to extend their current sweetened beverage tax and more officials adopt them against the wishes of the beverage industry, this growing body of research can help ground the policy discussion in evidence.