Study: After Philadelphia Tax, Residents Consume Less Soda

A new study found that after Philadelphia implemented its tax, residents consumed less soda and more water.

The 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax is levied on distributors and applies to energy drinks, diet soda and sugar-added fruit juice beverages.(MARIO TAMA/GETTY IMAGES)

FOLLOWING THE implementation of the "soda tax" in Philadelphia, residents in the city were 40 percent less likely to consume soda.

A new study by Drexel Universitypublished in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine surveyed 900 city residents before and after the tax went into effect. Researchers found that Philadelphians were 40 percent less likely to drink soda everyday and 64 percent less likely to drink an energy drink everyday after the tax went into effect.

In January 2017, a tax went into effect in the city on nonalcoholic sweetened beverages. The 1.5-cent-per-ounce tax is levied on distributors and applies to energy drinks, diet soda and sugar-added fruit juice beverages.

After the tax went into effect, city residents were less likely to consume soda and 58 percent more likely to drink bottled water every day.

Despite the drop in soda consumption, there wasn't a decline in consumption of sugary fruit drinks, such as Snapple and Sunny Delight, even though the tax also applies to these beverages.

Co-author of the study Amy Auchincloss, an associate professor in the Dornsife School of Public Health told Medical Xpress, a study on consumption of beverages instead of sales of beverages "can more directly assess health impacts from the tax."

Added calories and sugar from sweetened beverages are connected to weight gain and frequent consumption of these beverages, Auchincloss said, has been linked to an increased risk of type-2 diabetes, heart disease and tooth decay.

Coca-Cola to cut 1,200 jobs as consumers turn away from sugary drinks

Coca-Cola has announced plans to cut about 20 per cent of it corporate workforce, as the company battles a drop in sales due to falling demand for its sugary drinks.

The US firm said it will cut 1,200 jobs starting later this year as it increases its cost-cutting target by $800m and is now expecting to save $3.8bn by 2019.

This represents about a 22 per cent reduction of its 5,500 corporate staff or a 1 per cent reduction in its total workforce of 100,300 employees, according to figures by FactSet, cited by AP.

Global sales of Coca-Cola's fizzy drinks fell by one per cent for the first three months of 2017 as health-conscious consumers across the US and Europe are increasingly shying away from drinks with a high sugar content.

Coca-Cola said it expects full-year adjusted profits to drop by between 1 to 3 per cent, compared with a 1 to 4 per cent decline it had forecast in February.

The cost-cutting comes as drink and food manufacturers find themselves on a never-ending quest for more healthy ways to sweeten products, pressured by a consumer trend toward healthier products.

Nestlé, the company behind KitKat and Aero, last year claimed it made a scientific breakthrough that has the potential to reduce sugar in its treats by up to 40 per cent, without affecting the taste.

It followed PepsiCo’s commitment to spend billions of dollars creating new snacks and beverages, and reformulating existing ones to cut salt, sugar and fat content.

Coca-cola, last year, also changed its Coke Zero recipe and renamed it Coca-Cola Zero Sugar in the UK to make it “taste more and look more” like the original one, the company said.

The move to replace Coke Zero was supported by a £10m campaign.

Hospitals in the U.K. to limit sales of sugary drinks

London - The major retailers who operate stores in Britain's biggest hospitals have agreed to 'scale back' (but not to stop completely) the sale of sugary drinks.

Given that hospitals are places where people go to get better and that hospitals are part of the health system, for which health promotion places a key part it is perhaps odd that the stores in hospitals (mainly news shops and small grocery stores) stock-up high with sugary drinks. These are drinks that have an association with obesity, among other ill-health effects (according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention scientific evidence shows that "frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain/obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis.")

After many years of campaigning by health promotion groups (including groups within the British government health system, like Public Health England), a consortium of retailers have got round to pledging to limit sales of sugary drinks. This applies to hospitals in England only and does not extent to the other countries of the U.K. The retailers are WHSmith, Marks & Spencer, Subway and Greggs.

Fact check:

Coca cola, the sugar version, for a standard measure (500mL), contains around 200 calories whereas the diet equivalents (Diet Coke or Coke Zero) contain around one calorie.

By April 2018 the retailers have agreed to make sugary drinks no more than 10 percent of the total number of drinks they sell inside hospitals. How this target is to be achieved is not specified, although NHS England has indicated to the BBC that it expects to receive progress reports from the retailers.

READ MORE: Artificial sweeteners linked to stroke and dementia risk

As well as sugary drinks, hospitals must make further efforts, such as:

60 percent of confectionery and sweets stocked do not exceed 250 calories, rising to 80 percent of confectionery and sweets in 2018/19.

60 percent of pre-packed sandwiches and other savory pre-packed meals to contain 400 calories or less per serving and do not exceed five grams of saturated fat per 100 grams, moving to 75 percent in 2018/19.

Commenting on the decision, Katherine Button, who runs the Campaign for Better Hospital Food said: "NHS hospitals are trusted by patients, families and staff to keep them fit and well and NHS England is helping everyone to take a big healthy step in the right direction."

Coca-Cola battles drink driving with 'designated driver' push

Coca-Cola has brought back its designated driver campaign alongside new research that suggests one in 10 people admit to drink driving.

The research suggests London is the most relaxed towards drink driving in the UK, with 25% of people in the city admitting to knowingly driving while over the legal limit. Those in rural areas came first for organising a lift home, and almost two-thirds of people in Scotland were likely to nominate themselves as designated driver.

To "celebrate" those taking on the role of designated driver, the brand has launched its campaign for the ninth Christmas season, offering drivers buy one get one free soft drinks at participating pubs and bars across the country when they show their car keys at the bar.

Partnering with the Department of Transport's Think! Campaign, the promotion will run in 8,000 outlets across the UK until 31 December, where drivers can choose from Coca-Cola, Schweppes Sparkling juice drink and Appletiser for the offer.

"Designated drivers are the unsung heroes of the Christmas party season and this is our way of saying thank you to everyone who is taking on the role this Christmas and making sure that friends and family have a great night out and get home safely," said Aedamar Howlett, marketing director at Coca-Cola Great Britain and Ireland.

Sugar tax on soft drinks could prevent tens of thousands from becoming obese, says new study

A sugar tax on soft drinks could result in thousands fewer British adults and children becoming obese, research suggests.

Experts said the proposed levy, due to be introduced in April 2018, was likely to have a “significant” impact on health and obesity rates.

The industry tax relates to the sugar content of drinks, with a higher amount charged for the most sugary beverages.

Researchers modelled three ways that the soft drinks industry might respond to the levy - reducing the sugar content of drinks, raising the price of sugary drinks, and encouraging customers to switch to drinks containing less sugar.

For each scenario they estimated the likely effect on rates of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

The study found that a 30 per cent reduction in the sugar content of all high-sugar drinks - a step already taken by some manufacturers - and a 15 per cent reduction for moderately sugary drinks could result in 144,000 fewer adults and children being obese.

Such a step would also lead to 19,000 fewer new cases of Type 2 diabetes each year, and a yearly reduction of 269,000 teeth affected by decay.

Passing on half of the cost of the levy to consumers, leading to a 20 per cent increase in the price of high and mid-sugar drinks, was predicted to reduce the number of obese adults and children by 81,600, cases of diabetes by 10,800, and decaying teeth by 149,000.

Dr Adam Briggs, from Oxford University, who led the research published in The Lancet Public Health journal, said: “Our study provides the first estimates of the likely health impact of the UK soft drinks levy.

“The good news is that our study suggests that all of the most likely industry responses to the tax including reducing sugar content of soft drinks, raising prices of high-sugar drinks and increasing the market share of low-sugar drinks have the potential to improve health by reducing rates of obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.

“The extent of the health benefits of the tax will depend on industry's response.

“We must therefore be vigilant to ensure the food industry acts to remove sugar from soft drinks, and that where the tax is passed on to consumers it increases the price of targeted products only - drinks with high levels of sugar.”

Oxford colleague and co-author Professor Susan Jebb said: “In spite of the uncertainties, the direction of the effect is clear; this levy will have a positive impact, especially on children's health.

“Of course, on its own a soft drinks levy cannot solve the obesity crisis, but we should not underestimate the importance of this step, both for the UK and as a case study for other parts of the world.”

Professor Richard Tiffin, another member of the team from the University of Reading, said it was significant that children would benefit most.

He added: “Childhood obesity is a ticking time bomb and we must now turn our attention to other measures that will bring about the step change in diet that is necessary to truly tackle this issue.

“We need a much better understanding of the diverse and complex reasons people choose a poor diet.”

Nutrition expert Professor Tom Sanders, from King's College London, said he found some of the claims made by researchers “hard to swallow”.

He pointed out that according to the study findings, the proposed tax would reduce energy intake by five calories per person per day, or a third of a teaspoonful of sugar.

“This is a very small reduction in energy intake - equivalent to the amount of energy expended by one minute of brisk walking,” he said.

Other experts called the research “important” and “encouraging”.

Professor Neena Modi, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH), said: “Children stand to benefit the most, so this study is a clarion call to industry to fulfil their moral obligations to promote child wellbeing.

“We also reiterate the importance of evaluating the true impact of the sugar tax, once it is introduced, so that the UK can provide much needed evidence to other countries that are considering emulating this potentially powerful public health intervention.”

A Government spokesman said: “This is independent confirmation that the soft drinks industry levy, a key part of our world-leading Childhood Obesity Plan, will be a potent tool in the fight against childhood obesity.

“Not only that, it will help save our children's teeth and cut rates of type 2 diabetes.”