Published: May 2010

ID #: 65053

Journal: Health Aff (Millwood)

Authors: Fletcher JM, Frisvold D, Tefft N

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This paper focused on the impact changes in soft drink taxes and policies restricting school vending machine access had on soda consumption among children and adolescents. The researchers used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III (1988-1994) and IV (1999-2006) and the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort (ECLS-K). They concluded that as currently practiced, neither vending machine restrictions nor soft drink taxes will lead to noticeable weight reduction in children; typically imposed beverage taxes are neither large enough nor transparent enough to lead to meaningful behavior change, and policies restricting vending machine access in school do not reduce consumption because of the many other ways to obtain these drinks.

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