American Journal of Public Health, Vol 90, Issue 6 854-857, Copyright © 2000 by American Public Health Association

JOURNAL ARTICLE

Small taxes on soft drinks and snack foods to promote health

MF Jacobson and KD Brownell
Center for Science in the Public Interest, Washington, DC 20009-5728, USA. jacobson@cspinet.org

Health officials often wish to sponsor nutrition and other health promotion programs but are hampered by lack of funding. One source of funding is suggested by the fact that 18 states and 1 major city levy special taxes on soft drinks, candy, chewing gum, or snack foods. The tax rates may be too small to affect sales, but in some jurisdictions, the revenues generated are substantial. Nationally, about $1 billion is raised annually from these taxes. The authors propose that state and local governments levy taxes on foods of low nutritional value and use the revenues to fund health promotion programs.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				L. H. Epstein, K. K. Dearing, L. G. Roba, and E. Finkelstein The Influence of Taxes and Subsidies on Energy Purchased in an Experimental Purchasing Study Psychological Science, February 5, 2010; (2010) 0956797610361446v1. [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. Andreyeva, M. W. Long, and K. D. Brownell The Impact of Food Prices on Consumption: A Systematic Review of Research on the Price Elasticity of Demand for Food Am J Public Health, February 1, 2010; 100(2): 216 - 222. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Allais, P. Bertail, and V. Nichele The Effects of a Fat Tax on French Households' Purchases: A Nutritional Approach Am. J. Agr. Econ., January 20, 2010; (2010) aap004v2. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. M Apovian The causes, prevalence, and treatment of obesity revisited in 2009: what have we learned so far? Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2010; 91(1): 277S - 279S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C N Lopez, M A Martinez-Gonzalez, A Sanchez-Villegas, A Alonso, A M Pimenta, and M Bes-Rastrollo Costs of Mediterranean and western dietary patterns in a Spanish cohort and their relationship with prospective weight change J Epidemiol Community Health, November 1, 2009; 63(11): 920 - 927. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				K. D. Brownell, T. Farley, W. C. Willett, B. M. Popkin, F. J. Chaloupka, J. W. Thompson, and D. S. Ludwig The Public Health and Economic Benefits of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages N. Engl. J. Med., October 15, 2009; 361(16): 1599 - 1605. [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. O. Gostin, J. L. Pomeranz, P. D. Jacobson, and R. N. Gottfried Assessing Laws and Legal Authorities for Obesity Prevention and Control J. Law Med. Ethics, June 1, 2009; 37(s1): 28 - 36. [PDF]

				L. H Epstein, K. K Dearing, R. A Paluch, J. N Roemmich, and D. Cho Price and maternal obesity influence purchasing of low- and high-energy-dense foods Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, October 1, 2007; 86(4): 914 - 922. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				O. Mytton, A. Gray, M. Rayner, and H. Rutter Could targeted food taxes improve health? J Epidemiol Community Health, August 1, 2007; 61(8): 689 - 694. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. O. Gostin Law as a Tool to Facilitate Healthier Lifestyles and Prevent Obesity JAMA, January 3, 2007; 297(1): 87 - 90. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. M. Alston, D. A. Sumner, and S. A. Vosti Are Agricultural Policies Making Us Fat? Likely Links between Agricultural Policies and Human Nutrition and Obesity, and Their Policy Implications Appl. Econ. Perspect. Pol., September 1, 2006; 28(3): 313 - 322. [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. M. Mello, D. M. Studdert, and T. A. Brennan Obesity--the new frontier of public health law. N. Engl. J. Med., June 15, 2006; 354(24): 2601 - 2610. [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. E. Oliver and T. Lee Public opinion and the politics of obesity in America. Journal of Health Politics Policy and Law, October 1, 2005; 30(5): 923 - 954. [Abstract] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski and N. Darmon The economics of obesity: dietary energy density and energy cost Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, July 1, 2005; 82(1): 265S - 273S. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski and N. Darmon Food Choices and Diet Costs: an Economic Analysis J. Nutr., April 1, 2005; 135(4): 900 - 904. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Kuchler, A. Tegene, and J. M. Harris Taxing Snack Foods: Manipulating Diet Quality or Financing Information Programs? Appl. Econ. Perspect. Pol., March 1, 2005; 27(1): 4 - 20. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski, N. Darmon, and A. Briend Replacing Fats and Sweets With Vegetables and Fruits--A Question of Cost Am J Public Health, September 1, 2004; 94(9): 1555 - 1559. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski and S. Specter Poverty and obesity: the role of energy density and energy costs Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, January 1, 2004; 79(1): 6 - 16. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. A. Neiner, E. H. Howze, and M. L. Greaney Using Scenario Planning in Public Health: Anticipating Alternative Futures Health Promot Pract, January 1, 2004; 5(1): 69 - 79. [Abstract] [PDF]

				S. R. Hawks, H. N. Madanat, R. M. Merrill, M. B. Goudy, and T. Miyagawa A cross-cultural analysis of 'motivation for eating' as a potential factor in the emergence of global obesity: Japan and the United States Health Promot. Int., June 1, 2003; 18(2): 153 - 162. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Drewnowski Fat and Sugar: An Economic Analysis J. Nutr., March 1, 2003; 133(3): 838S - 840. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				W. E. Parmet The Impact of Law on Coronary Heart Disease: Some Preliminary Observations on the Relationship of Law to "Normalized" Conditions J. Law Med. Ethics, December 1, 2002; 30(4): 608 - 620. [PDF]

				J. Wylie-Rosett Research Beyond Diabetes: What Is Translatable? Diabetes Spectr, July 1, 2002; 15(3): 161 - 163. [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. T. Miller, D. G. Schlundt, J. W. Pichert, and N. U. Ahmed Shaping Environments for Reductions in Type 2 Diabetes Risk Behaviors: A Look at CVD and Cancer Interventions Diabetes Spectr, July 1, 2002; 15(3): 176 - 182. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. B. Dixon and N. D. Ernst Choose a Diet That Is Low in Saturated Fat and Cholesterol and Moderate in Total Fat: Subtle Changes to a Familiar Message J. Nutr., February 1, 2001; 131(2): 510S - 526. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				S. M. Krebs-Smith Choose Beverages and Foods to Moderate Your Intake of Sugars: Measurement Requires Quantification J. Nutr., February 1, 2001; 131(2): 527S - 535. [Abstract] [Full Text]