CPRC SEMINAR: The Effects of City-Level Beverage Taxes, with Professor John Cawley

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC; REGISTRATION REQUIRED

Featuring
JOHN CAWLEY
Professor, Departments of Policy Analysis and Management and of Economics
Cornell University

Sponsored by
Columbia Population Research Center

NOTE: The seminar takes place in Room 532A&B at the Mailman School of Public Health.

ABOUT THE SEMINAR
In response to the dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity and diabetes, numerous U.S. cities have recently enacted taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). At this presentation, Cornell economist John Cawley (bio) will provide an overview of a multi-year project to evaluate the effects of beverage taxes in cities including

• Berkeley and Oakland, CA
• Philadelphia, PA
• Boulder, CO

The research team collected data from stores, street intercepts, and phone surveys of consumers, in treated cities and nearby comparison areas.

The results indicate that the effects of these taxes vary by city. The largest effects are from the tax in Philadelphia. The tax of 1.5 cents/ounce was fully passed through to consumers and reduced the frequency of adults’ soda consumption by 31 percent, but had no detectable effect on the beverage consumption of children.

QUESTIONS
Please contact the Columbia Population Research Center.