Przepis na zdrowie? Jak opłata cukrowa wpływa na zachowania konsumentów i producentów
A Recipe for Health? How the Sugar Levy Affects Consumer and Producer Behaviour

Summary/Abstract: Excessive sugar consumption is a key risk factor for the development of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. This issue has motivated many countries to implement effective health policy tools, one of the most popular of which is sugar tax, also known as tax on sweet drinks. The mechanism of this solution is based on the assumption that an increase in the price of products with a high sugar content will affect the consumer perception, resulting in their decreased consumption. The sugar tax is an example of the application of behavioural economics in public actions. This tax, aimed at reducing sugar consumption by changing consumer behaviour, reflects the assumptions of behavioural choice architecture, i.e. deliberately shaping the decision-making environment in a way that favours making healthier choices. This article analyses the impact of the sugar tax on both consumers and producers. Particular attention is paid to the reactions of market entities, including changes in product composition and price adjustments. The results of empirical studies on the impact of the sugar fee on consumer choices are also discussed, as well as social attitudes towards various forms of health interventions, such as increasing prices of sweetened products, banning advertising aimed at children, introducing mandatory information labels on sugar content or limiting the availability of sweetened products in public places. The article also presents proposals for directions of further research, including the assessment of long-term health and economic effects and analysis of the effectiveness of sugar tax in various cultural and economic contexts.

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