Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysis

Objective To determine changes in household purchases of drinks 1 year after implementation of the UK soft drinks industry levy (SDIL).Design Controlled interrupted time series.Participants Households reporting their purchasing to a market research company (average weekly n=22 091), March 2014 to Ma...

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Main Authors: Jean Adams, Martin White, Oliver T Mytton, Harry Rutter, David Pell, Stephen Sharp, Peter Scarborough, Mike Rayner, Richard Smith, Adam Briggs, Steven Cummins, Catrin Jones, Tarra L Penney, Nina T Rogers
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-12-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e077059.full
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author Jean Adams
Martin White
Oliver T Mytton
Harry Rutter
David Pell
Stephen Sharp
Peter Scarborough
Mike Rayner
Richard Smith
Adam Briggs
Steven Cummins
Catrin Jones
Tarra L Penney
Nina T Rogers
author_facet Jean Adams
Martin White
Oliver T Mytton
Harry Rutter
David Pell
Stephen Sharp
Peter Scarborough
Mike Rayner
Richard Smith
Adam Briggs
Steven Cummins
Catrin Jones
Tarra L Penney
Nina T Rogers
author_sort Jean Adams
collection DOAJ
description Objective To determine changes in household purchases of drinks 1 year after implementation of the UK soft drinks industry levy (SDIL).Design Controlled interrupted time series.Participants Households reporting their purchasing to a market research company (average weekly n=22 091), March 2014 to March 2019.Intervention A two-tiered tax levied on soft drinks manufacturers, announced in March 2016 and implemented in April 2018. Drinks with ≥8 g sugar/100 mL (high tier) are taxed at £0.24/L, drinks with ≥5 to <8 g sugar/100 mL (low tier) are taxed at £0.18/L.Main outcome measures Absolute and relative differences in the volume of, and amount of sugar in, soft drinks categories, all soft drinks combined, alcohol and confectionery purchased per household per week 1 year after implementation.Results In March 2019, compared with the counterfactual, purchased volume of high tier drinks decreased by 140.8 mL (95% CI 104.3 to 177.3 mL) per household per week, equivalent to 37.8% (28.0% to 47.6%), and sugar purchased in these drinks decreased by 16.2 g (13.5 to 18.8 g), or 42.6% (35.6% to 49.6%). Purchases of low tier drinks decreased by 170.5 mL (154.5 to 186.5 mL) or 85.8% (77.8% to 93.9%), with an 11.5 g (9.1 to 13.9 g) reduction in sugar in these drinks, equivalent to 87.8% (69.2% to 106.4%). When all soft drinks were combined irrespective of levy tier or eligibility, the volume of drinks purchased increased by 188.8 mL (30.7 to 346.9 mL) per household per week, or 2.6% (0.4% to 4.7%), but sugar decreased by 8.0 g (2.4 to 13.6 g), or 2.7% (0.8% to 4.5%). Purchases of confectionery and alcoholic drinks did not increase.Conclusions Compared with trends before the SDIL was announced, 1 year after implementation, volume of all soft drinks purchased combined increased by 189 mL, or 2.6% per household per week. The amount of sugar in those drinks was 8 g, or 2.7%, lower per household per week. Further studies should determine whether and how apparently small effect sizes translate into health outcomes.Trial registration number ISRCTN18042742.
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spelling doaj-art-8668b702e1a3458c8cc34d54fa061da32025-08-20T03:10:53ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552023-12-01131210.1136/bmjopen-2023-077059Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysisJean Adams0Martin White1Oliver T Mytton2Harry Rutter3David Pell4Stephen Sharp5Peter Scarborough6Mike Rayner7Richard Smith8Adam Briggs9Steven Cummins10Catrin Jones11Tarra L Penney12Nina T Rogers131 Centre for Diet and Activity Research, MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKprofessor of population health researchMRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, UKDepartment of Social and Policy Sciences, University of Bath, Bath, UKMRC Epidemiology Unit, Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKMRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UKNuffield Department of Population Health, Centre on Population Approaches for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention, Oxford, UK4 Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UKUK Health Alliance on Climate Change, London, UKsenior policy fellowDepartment of Public Health, Environments and Society, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UKRenal Transplant and Vascular Access Surgery, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, UK1 Global Food System & Policy Research, York University, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaMRC Epidemiology Unit, Cambridge, UKObjective To determine changes in household purchases of drinks 1 year after implementation of the UK soft drinks industry levy (SDIL).Design Controlled interrupted time series.Participants Households reporting their purchasing to a market research company (average weekly n=22 091), March 2014 to March 2019.Intervention A two-tiered tax levied on soft drinks manufacturers, announced in March 2016 and implemented in April 2018. Drinks with ≥8 g sugar/100 mL (high tier) are taxed at £0.24/L, drinks with ≥5 to <8 g sugar/100 mL (low tier) are taxed at £0.18/L.Main outcome measures Absolute and relative differences in the volume of, and amount of sugar in, soft drinks categories, all soft drinks combined, alcohol and confectionery purchased per household per week 1 year after implementation.Results In March 2019, compared with the counterfactual, purchased volume of high tier drinks decreased by 140.8 mL (95% CI 104.3 to 177.3 mL) per household per week, equivalent to 37.8% (28.0% to 47.6%), and sugar purchased in these drinks decreased by 16.2 g (13.5 to 18.8 g), or 42.6% (35.6% to 49.6%). Purchases of low tier drinks decreased by 170.5 mL (154.5 to 186.5 mL) or 85.8% (77.8% to 93.9%), with an 11.5 g (9.1 to 13.9 g) reduction in sugar in these drinks, equivalent to 87.8% (69.2% to 106.4%). When all soft drinks were combined irrespective of levy tier or eligibility, the volume of drinks purchased increased by 188.8 mL (30.7 to 346.9 mL) per household per week, or 2.6% (0.4% to 4.7%), but sugar decreased by 8.0 g (2.4 to 13.6 g), or 2.7% (0.8% to 4.5%). Purchases of confectionery and alcoholic drinks did not increase.Conclusions Compared with trends before the SDIL was announced, 1 year after implementation, volume of all soft drinks purchased combined increased by 189 mL, or 2.6% per household per week. The amount of sugar in those drinks was 8 g, or 2.7%, lower per household per week. Further studies should determine whether and how apparently small effect sizes translate into health outcomes.Trial registration number ISRCTN18042742.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e077059.full
spellingShingle Jean Adams
Martin White
Oliver T Mytton
Harry Rutter
David Pell
Stephen Sharp
Peter Scarborough
Mike Rayner
Richard Smith
Adam Briggs
Steven Cummins
Catrin Jones
Tarra L Penney
Nina T Rogers
Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysis
BMJ Open
title Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysis
title_full Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysis
title_fullStr Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysis
title_full_unstemmed Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysis
title_short Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: a controlled interrupted time series analysis
title_sort changes in soft drinks purchased by british households associated with the uk soft drinks industry levy a controlled interrupted time series analysis
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/13/12/e077059.full
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