Do Taxes Make You Drink Less Soda? A Difference-in-Differences Approach on the Cook County Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax

Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes have been implemented by various regions across the world and previous studies have demonstrated their effect of lowering SSB consumption. The current study taps into a unique SSB tax situation in Cook County, Illinois. By analyzing around 2,000 households located in Cook County and its adjacent counties using fixed effects and difference-in-differences estimation, the current research indicated an approximately 30% drop in SSB consumption after the tax went into effect and a full recovery in consumption after the tax was officially repealed.