Trends in beverage prices following the introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Barbados

TY - JOUR

T1 - Trends in beverage prices following the introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Barbados

AU - Alvarado, Miriam

AU - Kostova, Deliana

AU - Suhrcke, Marc

AU - Hambleton, Ian

AU - Hassell, Trevor

AU - Samuels, T. Alafia

AU - Adams, Jean

AU - Unwin, Nigel

AU - on behalf of the Barbados SSB Tax Evaluation Group

PY - 2017/12/1

Y1 - 2017/12/1

N2 - A 10% excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) was implemented in Barbados in September 2015. A national evaluation has been established to assess the impact of the tax. We present a descriptive analysis of initial price changes following implementation of the SSB tax using price data provided by a major supermarket chain in Barbados over the period 2014–2016. We summarize trends in price changes for SSBs and non-SSBs before and after the tax using year-on-year mean price per liter. We find that prior to the tax, the year-on-year growth of SSB and non-SSB prices was very similar (approximately 1%). During the quarter in which the tax was implemented, the trends diverged, with SSB price growth increasing to 3% and that of non-SSBs decreasing slightly. The growth of SSB prices outpaced non-SSBs prices in each quarter thereafter, reaching 5.9% compared to < 1% for non-SSBs. Future analyses will assess the trends in prices of SSBs and non-SSBs over a longer period and will integrate price data from additional sources to assess heterogeneity of post-tax price changes. A continued examination of the impact of the SSB tax in Barbados will expand the evidence base available to policymakers worldwide in considering SSB taxes as a lever for reducing the consumption of added sugar at the population level.

AB - A 10% excise tax on sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) was implemented in Barbados in September 2015. A national evaluation has been established to assess the impact of the tax. We present a descriptive analysis of initial price changes following implementation of the SSB tax using price data provided by a major supermarket chain in Barbados over the period 2014–2016. We summarize trends in price changes for SSBs and non-SSBs before and after the tax using year-on-year mean price per liter. We find that prior to the tax, the year-on-year growth of SSB and non-SSB prices was very similar (approximately 1%). During the quarter in which the tax was implemented, the trends diverged, with SSB price growth increasing to 3% and that of non-SSBs decreasing slightly. The growth of SSB prices outpaced non-SSBs prices in each quarter thereafter, reaching 5.9% compared to < 1% for non-SSBs. Future analyses will assess the trends in prices of SSBs and non-SSBs over a longer period and will integrate price data from additional sources to assess heterogeneity of post-tax price changes. A continued examination of the impact of the SSB tax in Barbados will expand the evidence base available to policymakers worldwide in considering SSB taxes as a lever for reducing the consumption of added sugar at the population level.

KW - Diabetes mellitus

KW - Diet

KW - Economics

KW - Nutrition policy

KW - Obesity

KW - Primary prevention

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85026447543&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.07.013

DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.07.013

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85026447543

SN - 0091-7435

VL - 105

SP - S23-S25

JO - Preventive medicine

JF - Preventive medicine

ER -