Does limited access at school result in compensation at home? The effect of soft drink bans in schools on purchase patterns outside of schools

This paper investigates the effects of soft drink bans in schools on purchases outside of schools. Using unique household-level data, we exploit the implementation of a state-mandated ban on soft drinks in Connecticut (USA) in a triple difference approach. We compare soft drink purchases of households with school-age children before and after implementation with purchases of households without school-age children in Connecticut, as well as households with and without school-age children in other states. Our analysis does not support the notion that school-age children compensate for the limited availability at school with increased consumption at home.