The effects of an abrupt increase in taxes on candy and soda in Norway: an observational study of retail sales.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fiscal policies are used to promote a healthier diet; however, there is still a call for real-world evaluations of taxes on unhealthy foods and beverages. We aimed to evaluate the effect of an abrupt increase, of respectively 80 and 40%, in the excising Norwegian taxes on candy and beverages on volume sales of candy and soda. We expected sales to fall.

Methods

We analyzed electronic point of sale data covering approximately 98% of volume sales of grocery stores in Norway. In two pre-registered models with weekly (log-)sales of taxed candy and soda from 3884 individual stores, we modeled the difference between the jump (discontinuity) in the trend around the time of the increase in taxes and the corresponding jump in the trend in a control season from the previous

SUBMITTER: Ovrebo B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7491168 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature