SODA WARS: THE EFFECT OF A SODA TAX ELECTION ON UNIVERSITY BEVERAGE SALES

We examine how soda sales changed due to the campaign attention and election outcome of a local excise tax on sugar‐sweetened beverages. Using panel data of beverage sales from university retailers in Berkeley, California, we estimate that soda purchases relative to control beverages significantly d...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inEconomic inquiry Vol. 57; no. 3; pp. 1480 - 1496
Main Authors Taylor, Rebecca L. C., Kaplan, Scott, Villas‐Boas, Sofia B., Jung, Kevin
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Boston, USA Wiley Periodicals, Inc 01.07.2019
Western Economic Association
Subjects
Campaigns
Carbonated beverages
Colleges & universities
Drinks
Elections
Excise taxes
Mass media effects
Media coverage
Panel data
Sales
Sales taxes
Sugar
Tax elections
Taxation
Online AccessGet full text

Cover

More Information
Summary:We examine how soda sales changed due to the campaign attention and election outcome of a local excise tax on sugar‐sweetened beverages. Using panel data of beverage sales from university retailers in Berkeley, California, we estimate that soda purchases relative to control beverages significantly dropped immediately after the election, months before the tax was implemented in the city of Berkeley or on campus. Supplemental scanner data from off‐campus retailers reveal this result is not unique to the university setting. Our findings suggest soda tax media coverage and election outcomes can have larger effects on purchasing behavior than the tax itself. (JEL D12, H20, C23, I38, Q18)
ISSN:0095-2583
1465-7295
DOI:10.1111/ecin.12776