A new study finds that if the proposed New York City soda ban were to run its course, it would cause an increase in consumption and beverage revenue as well as spark a rebellious reaction among consumers.
New York City mayor Michael R. Bloomberg initially ignited his soda ban endeavors to limit the sale of any sugary drink in excess of 16 ounces in an effort to curtail the obesity epidemic.
But a new study published in the journal PLOS ONE explains that if the controversial ban were to live on, it would actually encourage more consumers to drink sugary beverages.
A New York judge nixed the infamous soda ban about a month ago, citing that the proposal was "arbitrary and capricious."
For the new study, researchers created a faux concession stand and offered its bounty of popcorn, pizza and a variety of beverage choices in either single-serving cups or in bundles of cups to 100 undergraduate students at UC San Diego.
And when the results came in, the students who purchased off the bundled menu were shown to purchase more ounces of soda.
The findings also demonstrated that when the bundled drinks were made available, the vendor's revenue increased.
Professor of behavior economics at Cornell University's Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, David Just, explained the study's findings as being consistent with typical consumer-seller dynamics, also citing the danger in regulatory actions.
"Most people getting ready to buy soda will go for the regular size," Just said, who also asserted that when people are prevented from getting what they want "they're going to display what we call reactance--a rebellious, a determination to circumvent this police, an attitude of 'I'll show them.' And the people selling the soda are all too willing to comply."
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