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Viewpoint: Soda taxes – Four questions economists need to address

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  • Cornelsen, Laura
  • Smith, Richard D.

Abstract

The popularity of soda taxes as a public health policy has grown rapidly in the last few years. While the evidence that the tax works in reducing the purchases of soda is emerging, there are a number of questions that are yet to be answered before the broader effectiveness of this measure can be determined. Beyond health effects, there is more specifically a need to better understand the economic mechanisms of change, redistributive effects, as well as causal and spillover effects in food systems and economy more broadly.

Suggested Citation

  • Cornelsen, Laura & Smith, Richard D., 2018. "Viewpoint: Soda taxes – Four questions economists need to address," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 74(C), pages 138-142.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jfpoli:v:74:y:2018:i:c:p:138-142
    DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2017.12.003
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    2. Fabrice Etilé & Sébastien Lecocq & Christine Boizot-Szantai, 2021. "Market heterogeneity and the distributional incidence of soft-drink taxes: evidence from France [Regressive sin taxes, with an application to the optimal soda tax]," European Review of Agricultural Economics, Oxford University Press and the European Agricultural and Applied Economics Publications Foundation, vol. 48(4), pages 915-939.
    3. Sunjin Ahn & Jayson L. Lusk, 2021. "Non‐Pecuniary Effects of Sugar‐Sweetened Beverage Policies," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(1), pages 53-69, January.
    4. Boysen, Ole & Bradford, Harvey & Boysen-Urban, Kirsten & Balie, Jean, 2018. "Taxing Highly Processed Foods: Impacts On Obesity And Underweight In Sub-Saharan Africa," 58th Annual Conference, Kiel, Germany, September 12-14, 2018 275849, German Association of Agricultural Economists (GEWISOLA).
    5. Allais, Oliver & Bonnet, Céline & Réquillart, Vincent & Spiteri, Marine, 2020. "Reformulation and taxes for healthier consumption: Empirical evidence in the French Dessert market," TSE Working Papers 20-1082, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE).
    6. Boysen, Ole & Boysen-Urban, Kirsten & Bradford, Harvey & Balié, Jean, 2019. "Taxing highly processed foods: What could be the impacts on obesity and underweight in sub-Saharan Africa?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 55-67.
    7. Alvarado, Miriam & Penney, Tarra L. & Unwin, Nigel & Murphy, Madhuvanti M. & Adams, Jean, 2021. "Evidence of a health risk ‘signalling effect’ following the introduction of a sugar-sweetened beverage tax," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 102(C).
    8. Rosella Levaggi & Carmen Marchiori & Paolo M. Panteghini, 2022. "Lifestyle taxes in the presence of profit shifting," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 137(1), pages 81-96, September.
    9. Goncalves, Judite & Merenda, Roxanne & Pereira dos Santos, João, 2023. "Not So Sweet: Impacts of a Soda Tax on Producers," IZA Discussion Papers 15968, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    10. Dal, Eléonore & Morales Opazo, Cristian & Angulo, Arturo & Yagüe, José Luis, "undated". "Fiscal policies to fight malnutrition – An analysis of the sugar-sweetened beverages tax in Catalonia, Spain," ESA Working Papers 319837, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Agricultural Development Economics Division (ESA).

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