US should halt Philadelphia tax

I have long argued that obesity should be tackled urgently and comprehensively.

Evidence last month demonstrates that the Philadelphia soft drinks tax introduced on 1st January merely creates unnecessary car journeys and displaces jobs.

Yes, carbonated soft drinks sales volumes were down 55% in Philadelphia between January and May, but just outside Philadelphia they were up 38%. Bottled water sales were up strongly in the first 6 weeks, but they might have grown as fast anyway.

It’s worth remembering that the tax includes diet soft drinks too and happens to be raising tens of millions of dollars, even if the amount is less than expected.