This paper assessed public opinion about arguments commonly used in debates over taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and found greater public agreement with anti- than pro-tax arguments. A majority of respondents agreed with anti-SSB tax arguments that such taxes are: arbitrary because they do not affect consumption of other unhealthy foods (60%); a quick way for politicians to fill budget holes (58%); an unacceptable intrusion of government into people’s lives (53.8%); opposed by most Americans (53%); and harmful to the poor (51%). No pro-tax argument was endorsed by a majority of respondents. Democrats were more likely to agree with pro-tax arguments and less likely to agree with anti-tax arguments than Republicans and Independents.
Published: February 2013
ID #: 69173
Journal: Am J Prev Med
Authors: Barry CL, Niederdeppe J, Gollust SE
Age Group: Adults and Families
Focus Areas: Beverages, Pricing & Economics
Resource Type: Journal Article
Keywords: Media, Sugar-sweetened beverages, Taxes
Race/Ethnicity: Multi-racial/ethnic
State: National
Related Research
September 2014
Inoculation in Competitive Framing: Examining Message Effects on Policy Preferences
This study examines the effect of inoculation as a strategy in competitive framing in the context of public opinion about taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). Inoculation is a theory of resistance to persuasion which suggests that by exposing an individual to a weakened form of an oppositional message, individuals can develop counterarguments to resist future MoreMarch 2014
Strategic Messaging to Promote Taxation of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Lessons from Recent Political Campaigns
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 MoreMarch 2014
Americans’ Opinions about Policies to Reduce Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages
Strategies to reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) are a key component of public health promotion and obesity prevention, yet the introduction of many of these policies has been met with political controversy. This paper assesses the levels and determinants of U.S. public support for policies to reduce consumption of SSBs. Respondents to an internet-based MoreJune 2013
News Coverage of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes: Pro- and Antitax Arguments in Public Discourse
This article examines how the news media frames the public debates about sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes. Researchers assessed how frequently pro- and anti-tax arguments appeared in national news media and in news outlets serving jurisdictions where SSB taxes were proposed and found that news stories focused on the SSB tax debate were more likely to MoreAugust 2011