The May issue of the Health Policy journal published an article by Dr. Tamás Joó, vice president of HMA, and his co-authors. They analyzed nine years of data to show how consumption of unhealthy foods changed in the long and short term after the introduction of the public health product tax in Hungary in 2011.
The main findings of the article:
- Taxation of unhealthy foods as a means of reducing consumption is becoming more widespread;
- The Hungarian experience suggests that a public health product tax alone is not sufficient to reduce consumption in the long term;
- Dietary habits, the food environment, and rising incomes sustain consumption;
- Complex interventions can achieve positive and lasting changes in consumption and reduce inequalities.
Read the full article here: Long-term impact of unhealthy food tax on consumption and the drivers behind: a longitudinal study in Hungary