Mexico's SSB Tax Policy Impact on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Modeling Study
2016
In 2014, Mexico instituted a nationwide tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) in order to reduce the high level of SSB consumption, a preventable cause of diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). In this analyses, a computer simulation model of CVD was used to project potential long-range health and economic impacts of SSB taxation in Mexico.
Two main scenarios were modeled: (1) a 10% reduction in SSB consumption (corresponding to the reduction observed after tax implementation) and (2) a 20% reduction in SSB consumption (possible with increases in taxation levels and/or additional measures to curb consumption). Data included short-term changes in SSB consumption in response to taxation (price elasticity), country-specific data on demographics, epidemiology, market research surveys, and public healthcare institutions.
Results showed that a 10% reduction in SSB consumption would result in about 189,300 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 20,400 fewer incident strokes and myocardial infarctions, and 18,900 fewer deaths occurring from 2013 to 2022, and would save Mexico 983 million international dollars.
Mexico's SSB Tax Policy Impact on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: Modeling Study
Source:
Sánchez-Romero LM, Penko J, Coxson PG et al. Projected Impact of Mexico’s Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax Policy on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease: A Modeling Study. PLOS Medicine 2016; 13 (11): e1002158. https://dx.doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1002158