Text 1: Public-health researcher Doyle argues that taxes on sugary drinks are an effective tool against obesity. After Mexico introduced a ten-percent soda tax in 2014, sales dropped by roughly six percent in the first year, with the largest reductions among low-income households most at risk for diabetes.
Text 2: Economist Brennan agrees that the Mexican tax reduced soda consumption, but questions whether it improved public health. Many consumers, he notes, simply switched to untaxed sweet beverages or increased their intake of other high-calorie foods. Without evidence of falling obesity or diabetes rates, Brennan argues, the tax's health benefits remain unproven.
Both authors would most likely agree that
- A
soda taxes are useless as a policy tool.
- B
the tax has clearly reduced obesity rates.
- Ccheck_circle
the Mexican soda tax reduced consumption of taxed beverages.
- D
consumers do not respond to price changes.
Explanation
Both accept that the tax reduced consumption of taxed sodas; they disagree on health outcomes. A is shared ground. B reflects only Doyle's implication; C and D contradict both.