Globally, the consumption of sweetened beverages (SB) has increased significantly, especially among children. This troubling trend has contributed to increased rates in obesity and other NCDs and created significant health and economic costs. This is why countries are increasingly looking to SB taxes as a cost-effective measure to discourage the consumption of unhealth drinks.
The global evidence is clear: SB taxes can reduce their consumption and improve public health. This is why more than 100 countries have enacted SB taxes. Yet, research analyzing SB taxes post-implementation highlights that the public health impact of SB taxes hinges on its design: taxes with rates that are too low, that exclude key categories of unhealthy drinks or that do not reinvest the revenue toward health fail to reach their maximum impact. These findings highlight why it’s important to revisit and strengthen tax designs to ensure they meet the highest public health standards.
This position paper outlines bold recommendations and elements needed to design an effective and robust SB tax that can fully deliver on its public health objective. These best practices are informed by country experiences where SB taxes have been implemented. Because SB industry interference is a major barrier to advancing SB taxes, the paper also documents how their tactics delay or weaken SB taxes. It shares why governments must prioritize public interests and manage conflict of interest from the industry to protect public health. These recommendations can help decision-makers and advocates develop and implement effective SB taxes within their own country context.
This position paper was developed in partnership with Colansa (Latin American and Caribbean Nutrition and Health Community of Practice), the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Global Center for Legal Innovation on Food Environments and Vital Strategies.
For More Information:
Read our blog post explaining why we developed this position paper and how advocates and decision-makers can use it.
