Focus Area: Pricing & Economics

By Ounce or by Calorie: The Differential Effects of Alternative Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Strategies

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This paper examines the differential effects that taxing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) by calories and by ounce have on beverage demand. Based on sales data from supermarkets across four New York state regions, researchers predict that a calorie-based SSB tax is more effective than an ounce-based tax because it achieves more calorie reduction with a smaller More

Strategic Messaging to Promote Taxation of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Lessons from Recent Political Campaigns

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Strategic messaging is used to emphasize certain aspects of issues in policy debates, shaping public views and policy-making processes. This paper explores the use of strategic messaging by proponents of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation to influence public opinion, emphasizing the experiences in El Monte and Richmond, Calif., where SSB tax proposals were voted on in More

Moving from Policy to Implementation: A Methodology and Lessons Learned to Determine Eligibility for Healthy Food Financing Projects

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Financing programs to incentivize healthy food retail development in communities classified as “underserved” are taking place at the local, state, and national levels. Implementing these policies requires a clear definition of eligibility for program applicants and policy administrators. This paper describes a process to implement an eligibility analysis for healthy food financing programs and shares More

Impact of a Rewards-Based Incentive Program on Promoting Fruit and Vegetable Purchases

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This paper examines the impact of a rewards-based incentive program on fruits and vegetable purchases in a supermarket located in a predominately minority community in Philadelphia, Pa. Researchers conducted a four-phase prospective cohort study with randomized intervention and wait-listed control groups. Households in the intervention were provided a 50 percent rebate on fresh or frozen More

Employment Impact of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes

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In the past few years, numerous state and local legislators have proposed taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) as a means of changing individuals’ behavior in order to reduce obesity and improve health. None of these proposals have succeeded thus far, hindered in part by beverage industry claims of related job losses. This paper provides a More

Taxing Sugary Drinks: Will This Really Result in Job Losses?

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Sugary drinks add large amounts of calories to the diet and are linked with obesity. Many state legislatures have tried to impose new taxes on sugary drinks, but the beverage industry has opposed such measures claiming that taxes on sugary drinks will result in regional job losses because of reduced consumption. This issue brief highlights More

Assessing the Impact of Food Restrictions Under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) on Food Choices by Children and Families

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Some public health advocates and policymakers are proposing restrictions on the types of foods eligible for purchase with Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, such as sugary drinks and food products with minimal nutritional value. To date, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has rejected all such proposals due to lack of research on whether More