Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts
It is important to understand whether the publics’ attitudes towards sugary beverage taxes (SBT) change after tax implementation to ensure the long-term success of tax policies. Seattle’s SBT went into effect on January 1, 2018. We administered a mixed-mode survey to adults in Seattle and comparison...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-06-01
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| Series: | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335522001164 |
| _version_ | 1818551797955952640 |
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| author | Vanessa M. Oddo Melissa A. Knox Lina Pinero Walkinshaw Brian E. Saelens Nadine Chan Jessica C. Jones-Smith |
| author_facet | Vanessa M. Oddo Melissa A. Knox Lina Pinero Walkinshaw Brian E. Saelens Nadine Chan Jessica C. Jones-Smith |
| author_sort | Vanessa M. Oddo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | It is important to understand whether the publics’ attitudes towards sugary beverage taxes (SBT) change after tax implementation to ensure the long-term success of tax policies. Seattle’s SBT went into effect on January 1, 2018. We administered a mixed-mode survey to adults in Seattle and comparison areas, pre- and 2-years post-tax, to evaluate the impact of the SBT on 1) tax support and 2) perceived tax impacts (N = 2,933). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we employed adjusted income-stratified modified Poisson models to test the impacts of the tax on net changes in attitudes in Seattle versus the comparison areas, pre- to post-tax. Among lower-income individuals in Seattle, support for the tax increased by 14% (PRDD: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.21) and there was a 20% net-increase in the perception that the SBT would positively affect the economy (PRDD: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.39), compared to changes in the comparison areas. Among higher-income individuals in Seattle, support for the tax was not different (PRDD: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.70, 1.22) pre- to post-tax, but there was a net-increase in the perception that the tax would have negative effects on small businesses (PRDD: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.00) and family finances (PRDD: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.19). After living with the tax for 2-years, support for the tax increased among lower-income individuals in Seattle. Tax support was high and unchanged among higher-income individuals, but overall attitudes became more negative. Policy makers should consider investing in ongoing campaigns that explain the benefits of SSB taxes and revenues. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:04:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5febed29f2fa45f5bd67f100d93b2182 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2211-3355 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:04:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Preventive Medicine Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-5febed29f2fa45f5bd67f100d93b21822022-12-22T00:29:42ZengElsevierPreventive Medicine Reports2211-33552022-06-0127101809Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impactsVanessa M. Oddo0Melissa A. Knox1Lina Pinero Walkinshaw2Brian E. Saelens3Nadine Chan4Jessica C. Jones-Smith5University of Illinois Chicago, College of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, Chicago, IL, USA; Corresponding author at: Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1919 West Taylor Street, 502A, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.University of Washington, Department of Economics, Seattle, WA, USAUniversity of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Health Systems and Population Health, Seattle, WA, USASeattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, USA; University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Seattle, WA, USAPublic Health - Seattle and King County, Seattle, WA, USA; University of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Seattle, WA, USAUniversity of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Health Systems and Population Health, Seattle, WA, USA; University of Washington School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, Seattle, WA, USAIt is important to understand whether the publics’ attitudes towards sugary beverage taxes (SBT) change after tax implementation to ensure the long-term success of tax policies. Seattle’s SBT went into effect on January 1, 2018. We administered a mixed-mode survey to adults in Seattle and comparison areas, pre- and 2-years post-tax, to evaluate the impact of the SBT on 1) tax support and 2) perceived tax impacts (N = 2,933). Using a difference-in-differences approach, we employed adjusted income-stratified modified Poisson models to test the impacts of the tax on net changes in attitudes in Seattle versus the comparison areas, pre- to post-tax. Among lower-income individuals in Seattle, support for the tax increased by 14% (PRDD: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.08, 1.21) and there was a 20% net-increase in the perception that the SBT would positively affect the economy (PRDD: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.39), compared to changes in the comparison areas. Among higher-income individuals in Seattle, support for the tax was not different (PRDD: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.70, 1.22) pre- to post-tax, but there was a net-increase in the perception that the tax would have negative effects on small businesses (PRDD: 1.44; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.00) and family finances (PRDD: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.19). After living with the tax for 2-years, support for the tax increased among lower-income individuals in Seattle. Tax support was high and unchanged among higher-income individuals, but overall attitudes became more negative. Policy makers should consider investing in ongoing campaigns that explain the benefits of SSB taxes and revenues.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335522001164Sugar sweetened beveragesSSB taxesHealth policyNutrition policyNorms and attitudes |
| spellingShingle | Vanessa M. Oddo Melissa A. Knox Lina Pinero Walkinshaw Brian E. Saelens Nadine Chan Jessica C. Jones-Smith Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts Preventive Medicine Reports Sugar sweetened beverages SSB taxes Health policy Nutrition policy Norms and attitudes |
| title | Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts |
| title_full | Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts |
| title_fullStr | Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts |
| title_short | Evaluation of Seattle’s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts |
| title_sort | evaluation of seattle s sweetened beverage tax on tax support and perceived economic and health impacts |
| topic | Sugar sweetened beverages SSB taxes Health policy Nutrition policy Norms and attitudes |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211335522001164 |
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