Talking about sugar sweetened-beverage taxes: will actions speak louder than words?

a n m t s c w c l w t s t o t d b T s c In this issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, Colleen Barry and her colleagues present results from a national public opinion survey assessing the level of support for arguments commonly used in public debate about instituting taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Many in public health want to learn what will persuade the public to support taxing sugary beverages because they are eager to mimic the success in tobacco control, where increasing excise taxes on cigarettes is the single most effective way to reduce consumption, especially among youth. The fındings of Barry et al. will disappoint these advocates because no argument in favor of taxes garnered a majority of support. Although disappointing, these fındings are not surprising for at least two reasons. First, despite mounting evidence linking sugary beverages with obesity, we are at the early stages of public health forays into taxing sugarsweetened beverageswith the express purpose of addressing health problems. Second, we are living in a time of unprecedented disdain for governmental solutions and taxes in particular. We face formidable challenges in arguing for taxes on sugary beverages, but a strategy with such terrifıc potential warrants continued efforts.