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

• Published in: Preventive medicine Vol. 105; pp. S23 - S25
• Main Authors: Alvarado, Miriam, Kostova, Deliana, Suhrcke, Marc, Hambleton, Ian, Hassell, Trevor, Samuels, T. Alafia, Adams, Jean, Unwin, Nigel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2017
• Subjects: Barbados; Beverages - economics; Commerce - economics; Commerce - trends; Diabetes mellitus; Diet; Dietary Sucrose - adverse effects; Economics; Humans; Nutrition policy; Obesity; Obesity - prevention & control; Primary prevention; Sweetening Agents - economics; Taxes - economics; Economics; Obesity; Nutrition policy; Primary prevention; Diet; Diabetes mellitus
• ISSN: 0091-7435; 1096-0260
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2017.07.013

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. •A 10% excise tax was introduced on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in Barbados.•SSBs and non-SSBs showed similar year-on-year price growth trends prior to the tax.•Post-tax, the growth in SSB prices reached 5.9% while staying below 1.0% for non-SSBs.