On January 1, 2014, a beverage tax policy measure took effect in Mexico, adding 1 peso (about 7 cents) to the price of a liter of sugar-sweetened beverages. Now, a year later, preliminary data from public health researchers studying the country’s soda tax and corporate data from companies such as Coca-Cola Femsa, Mexico’s biggest soft drink bottler, suggest consumption rates of sugar-sweetened beverages are falling in the world’s fattest country.
Is the higher sugar-sweetened beverage prices alone responsible for such a change? It’s hard to say, but the policy does seem to signal to consumers the risks associated with consuming sugary-sweetened beverages. It has been reported that parents in Mexico are serving their young children less sugary beverages, schools are encouraging the drinking of plain water, and Mexicans overall are choosing lower-fat milk. Thus, the soda tax in Mexico could have indirect effects on education and health choices. Researchers expect more conclusive results on both consumption levels and related health impacts in a few months. If the preliminary data is true, the policy could prove vital in curbing rising rates of obesity and diabetes in Mexico, where one out of six Mexican adults suffer from diabetes.
In the meantime, Mexico’s soda tax has inspired similar policy efforts in Chile, Ecuador and Peru, where consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages among average household are also startlingly high. Yet, the U.S.—trailing Mexico as the world’s second fattest country—continues to reject soda tax measures. U.S. voters have rejected more than 30 efforts by various cities and states to implement a soda tax. The only success story in the U.S. so far is Berkeley, California, where voters adopted a 1-cent-per-ounce tax in November 2014. Despite the lopsided record, U.S. health proponents hope the success of Mexico’s beverage tax policy can encourage American voters to see the benefit of similar public health measures here.
SOURCE:
Gallucci, Maria. “As Mexico’s Sugary Drink Tax Turns 1 Year Old, US Health Proponents Hope It Can Sway American Voters.” International Business Times 11 Jan. 2015. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. <http://www.ibtimes.com/mexicos-sugary-drink-tax-turns-1-year-old-us-health-proponents-hope-it-can-sway-1779632>.
