
As Canada’s only ‘sugar tax’ ends, a study suggests it may have been effective
ST. JOHN’S — A new study suggests a unique provincial tax on sugar-sweetened drinks may have dissuaded people from buying and drinking the beverages.
The study, sponsored by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, examines beverage sales and public attitudes before and after Newfoundland and Labrador’s so-called “sugar tax” took effect in September 2022.
It was released this week, just days before the provincial government is set to remove the levy, seemingly in response to years of uproar.
Rachel Prowse, a co-author of the report, says the findings show the province should reconsider.