Tax linked to drop in soda consumption.

• Position: Sugar-Sweetened Beverages - Brief article

There has been a 21% drop in the soda sales and other sugary drinks in low-income neighborhoods in Berkeley, Calif., after the city levied a penny-per-ounce tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, shows a study by the University of California, Berkeley.

While Berkeley, the first U.S. city to pass a "soda tax," saw a decline in the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks following implementation of the tax, neighboring Oakland and San Francisco--where a soda-tax measure was defeated--saw a four percent increase.

"Low-income communities bear the brunt of the health consequences of obesity and diabetes, so this decline in soda and sugary beverage consumption is very encouraging," says senior author Kristine Madsen, associate professor of public health. 'We are looking for tools that support people in making healthy choices, and the...