In a research brief released December 14, 2016, the CHOICES Project examined the cost-effectiveness and impact of a one cent per ounce city excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in the 15 largest US cities (with the authority to implement such a tax).
In total, researchers project that these municipal taxes would prevent 115,000 cases of childhood and adult obesity in 2025, prevent many new cases of diabetes, increase healthy life years, and save more in future health care costs than the intervention costs to implement.
See the brief for full summary results, as well as individual results for each of the 15 cities:
- Baltimore, MD
- Charlotte, NC
- Columbus, OH
- Denver, CO
- Detroit, MI
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
- Las Vegas, NV
- Los Angeles, CA
- Louisville, KY
- Oklahoma City, OK
- Phoenix, AZ
- San Diego, CA
- San Jose, CA
- Seattle, WA
The CHOICES Project has also previously modeled the cost-effectiveness of sugary drink taxes in cities and counties where such measures have already been passed, including Philadelphia, PA, Boulder, CO, Cook County, IL, as well as San Francisco, Oakland, and Albany, CA.