Since 2014, eight U.S. cities have implemented sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes. Several other cities and states are contemplating similar measures. SSB taxes are intended to curb sugar consumption and improve public health, but policymakers too often ignore the unintended consequences these measures provoke. This ConsumerGram examines the effects of SSB taxes, including their disproportionate impact on poor households, their failure to meaningfully shift consumers behaviors, and their negative economic effects on local communities.
The entire study is available online.