News

Chicago’s 2017 soda tax cut consumption

February 24, 2020

Chicago's soda tax reduced consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks, a new study finds, along with raising funds for public health initiatives, according to a U.S. News & World Report story.

During the tax's duration from August to November 2017, the volume of soda sold in Cook County, Illinois fell 21%, and the tax raised nearly $62 million, of which nearly $17 million went to a county health fund.

The levy was 1 cent per ounce on sodas and other sugar-sweetened drinks. After two months, public pressure and opposition from the American Beverage Association caused the Cook County Board of Commissioners to end the tax, according to the Washington Post.