Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
The Tax That Could Save Nearly 20,000 Lives Over 10 Years
Los Angeles Times: Mexico's Soda Tax Will Save 18,900 Lives And More Than $983 Million Over 10 Years, Study Says
A new estimate of the health impact of soda taxes in Mexico sheds some light on what’s at stake in ballot measures coming to a vote in three Bay-area cities and Boulder, Colo. next week. In cases of heart disease and diabetes averted, the model suggests that, in Mexico, those levies are on track to save close to a billion dollars and powerfully improve lives. After a tandem run-up in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity, Mexico has become one of the fattest countries on Earth. In 2014, it adopted a 10% excise tax on the sale of sugary drinks. (Healy, 11/3)
The New York Times: Putting Sugary Soda Out Of Reach
Can public health officials force Americans to break their soda habit? The answer may come soon from the University of California, San Francisco, a health sciences center that has more than 24,000 employees on its sprawling campus. Last year, U.C.S.F. removed sugar-sweetened beverages from every store, food truck and vending machine on its campus. Even popular fast-food chains on the campus, like Subway and Panda Express, have stopped selling Sprite, Coca-Cola and their sugary brethren at the university’s request. (O'Connor, 11/3)
Reuters: Factbox: Soda, Sugar Taxes Across The United States
Voters in four U.S. cities will decide on Tuesday whether they would like to tax sugary drinks, the latest in a series of such measures as officials and nutritionists seeks ways to address obesity, diabetes and other health epidemics. The following are some cities and states around the United States that have taxes or are considering imposing them for soft drinks, sugary beverages and sellers of sodas. (Prentice, 11/4)
