The California data suggest excise taxes are having an impact, but is the benefit strong enough to encourage more cities to try?

Children who live in cities with excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages tend to have lower body mass index (BMI) than those who live in cities that do not have such taxes, according to new data from California.

With both childhood obesity and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages linked to CVD risk, several US cities have enacted taxes on these drinks over the past decade that have decreased how much people not only buy but also consume them.