Most Americans oppose soda tax, survey suggests

13-Feb-2012 - Most Americans do not support taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks, according to the results of a new survey published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.

Hawaiian task force to examine link between sugary drinks and health

01-Feb-2012 - Hawaiian governor Neil Abercrombie has said he won’t push for a soda tax this year – but he will establish a task force intended to reduce Hawaiians’ consumption of sugary beverages and try to find a solution to childhood obesity.

End to soft drink ‘parity pricing’ could help ease obesity epidemic: expert

17-Jan-2012 - A UK expert claims that a suggested 10% tax on sugar-sweetened soft drinks in the UK would be an ineffective means of tackling a rising obesity epidemic, but that an industry-led end to ‘pricing parity’ between sugared and sugar-free soft drinks could have a positive effect.

Blanket tax on ‘liquid candy’ soft drinks would give US health kick, Columbia study

10-Jan-2012 - A penny-per-ounce tax on sugary soft drinks would ‘substantially reduce obesity, diabetes and heart disease amongst US adults’, according to a new study by academics at Columbia University.

CCE catches Olympic fever but French soda tax dampens spirits

20-Dec-2011 - Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) says it is focusing on the London 2012 Olympics to spur sales, but admits that any French soda tax could lead to retail price rises there of around 10 per cent.

News in brief

Prime minister chews over UK fat tax

05-Oct-2011 - Prime Minister David Cameron is considering the possibility of introducing a Danish-style fat tax to tackle the nation’s £9bn obesity crisis.

Soda tax could threaten Irish economic recovery, industry body warns

29-Sep-2011 - Irish government plans to introduce a 'sugar tax' on carbonated drinks could lead to widespread job losses within the Irish food and beverage industry and threaten the nation's economic recovery, Food and Drink Industry Ireland (FDII) has claimed.

USDA rejects NYC food stamps soda ban

23-Aug-2011 - US Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials have rejected a proposal from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg that would have banned sugary drinks from the list of products that can be bought with food stamps.

Colorado may regain soft drinks tax exemption

25-Feb-2011 - Colorado may regain a tax exemption for sugary soft drinks after a House Republican plan to remove recently imposed taxes passed the state’s finance committee on Wednesday.

Hawaiian governor Abercrombie proposes soda tax

26-Jan-2011 - Hawaiian governor Neil Abercrombie has proposed establishing a tax on soda and similar beverages in the state, in his first State of the State address.

Soda tax may bring small weight loss, large revenues

15-Dec-2010 - Taxing sodas and other sweetened beverages could trigger a small amount of weight loss and could also raise revenues to pay for other anti-obesity measures, claims a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

American Beverage Association spent nearly $4m on anti-tax lobbying in Q2

19-Aug-2010 - The American Beverage Association spent $3.5m lobbying the federal government on beverage taxes this month – and a total of $3.95m during the second quarter, according to a disclosure report.

USDA says soda tax would reduce obesity

06-Jul-2010 - The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added its voice to the debate on soda tax and the prevalence of overweight and obesity, saying that a 20 percent price increase would make a significant difference.

Baltimore approves two-cent bottle tax

28-Jun-2010 - Baltimore City Council gave its final approval late last week for a two-cent tax on bottled beverages as part of its $2.2bn budget for fiscal 2011.

Harvard researchers show soda ‘tax’ cuts consumption

21-Jun-2010 - Sugary soda consumption at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston fell by 26 percent when researchers added a temporary tax, adding weight to the argument for soda taxes, the study’s authors claim.

Evidence linking lower weight with fewer sugary drinks not strong: Review

03-Jun-2010 - There is not enough evidence to suggest that cutting consumption of sugary drinks would reduce obesity rates, according to a new research review published in Obesity Reviews.

D.C. Council approves soda tax

28-May-2010 - The Washington D.C. Council has voted to include sweetened soft drinks in its six percent sales tax bracket to help bridge the city’s half-billion dollar gap between spending and earnings.

Nutter’s soda tax shelved as Philadelphia passes budget

21-May-2010 - Philadelphia City Council has shelved a proposed soda tax in the state, as it passed a $3.9bn budget on Thursday.

Revenue question crucial to NY soda tax acceptance

15-Apr-2010 - A new poll from Quinnipiac University suggests that consumers would be more likely to support a tax on sugary beverages if the proceeds were linked to paying for health care reforms.

NY legislature rejects soda tax but negotiations continue

06-Apr-2010 - Both the New York State Assembly and Senate have rejected a proposed tax on sugary soft drinks in their budget resolutions, but a decision will only be finalized after negotiations with the state governor.

Small soda taxes don’t affect childhood obesity, study finds

01-Apr-2010 - Small taxes on soda do not affect childhood obesity rates, but larger ones could, according to new research published online today in the journal Health Affairs.

Nationwide soda tax proposal fizzles out

09-Feb-2010 - The prospect of a national tax on soft drinks has been effectively quashed for the time being as a key congressional committee has refused to consider such a levy, according to a report in the LA Times.