TheAmerican Beverage Association(ABA) is a government lobbying group that represents thebeverage industryin theUnited States.Its members include producers and bottlers ofsoft drinks,such asThe Coca-Cola Company,PepsiCo,andKeurig Dr Pepper,along with other non-alcoholic beverages.
 | |
| ABA | |
| Company type | Trade Association |
| Industry | Non-Alcoholic Beverage Industry |
| Predecessor | American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages; National Soft Drink Association |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Key people | Matthew Dent, Chair |
| Services | Lobbying on behalf of non-alcoholic beverage producers |
| Website | www |
History
editThe organization was founded in 1919, and originally named theAmerican Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages.[1]In 1966, it renamed itself theNational Soft Drink Association.[1]Then in November 2004, it changed to its current name, "to better reflect the expanded range of nonalcoholic beverages the industry produces."[2]
Leadership
editIts members are bottling companies and other beverage industry firms, including Bulldog Americas Corporation, severalCoca-ColaandPepsi-Colabottlers, Pepsi-Americas Inc, and Royal Crown Bottling Corporation.[3]
Lobbying
editThe American Beverage Association'slobbyingefforts have recently skyrocketed, largely to finance the industry's opposition to legislators’ considering increasedtaxeson soft drinks given their impact on Americans'health.The Association has annually spent from $391,000 to more than $690,000 annually on lobbying from 2003 to 2008. In the 2010 election cycle, its lobbying grew more than 1000 percent to $8.67 million. These funds are helping to pay for 25 lobbyists at seven different lobbying firms.[4]
Latest news
editIn September 2009, aNew England Journal of Medicinestudy called for taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages saying that these actions would cut rates of diet-related diseases andhealth care costs.Written by experts in nutrition, public health and economics, the study called for an excise tax of a penny per ounce on soft drinks and other beverages that have added sweeteners such as sucrose,high fructose corn syrupor fruit-juice concentrates. The expectation is that such a tax could reduce calorie consumption from sweetened beverages by 10% and create revenue that governments could use to pay for health programs.[5]A report on theNew England Journal of Medicinestudy can be read here[6]
To counter these pro-tax efforts, the American Beverage Association and other beverage industry companies have established an "Americans Against Food Taxes" coalition and website. Their efforts include national advertising and other actions positioning the proposed taxes as "taxing hard-working families."[7]This group's actions have been opposed by pro-tax organizations including theCenter for Science in the Public Interest.[8]
To date, 33 states have taxes on soft drinks but they are "too low to affect consumption and the revenues are not earmarked for health programs," according to theNew England Journal of Medicinestudy.[9]
See also
editMaureen Storey,senior vice president for science policy and author of many of the ABA's press releases and official statements[10]
References
edit- ^ab"American Beverage Association - About the American Beverage Association".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-07-04.Retrieved2008-07-11.
- ^"American Beverage Association: About ABA: It's a 'Bevolution'".Archived fromthe originalon 2006-08-23.Retrieved2008-07-11.
- ^http://www.ameribev.org/about-aba/board-of-directors/Archived2009-12-09 at theWayback MachineAmerican Beverage Association website, Nov 20 2009
- ^http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientlbs.php?lname=American+Beverage+Assn&year=2009OpenSecrets,ABA profile
- ^Bauerlein, Betsy McKay And Valerie."New Report Calls for Tax of Penny an Ounce on Soft Drinks".WSJ.Retrieved2023-03-10.
- ^http://content.nejm.org/cgi/reprint/361/16/1599.pdfNew England Journal of Medicine, The public health and economic benefits of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages, Oct 15 2009
- ^http://nofoodtaxes.com/No Food Taxes website, Nov 20 2009
- ^http://www.cspinet.org/liquidcandy/index.htmlCSPI website, Nov 20 2009
- ^Bauerlein, Betsy McKay And Valerie."New Report Calls for Tax of Penny an Ounce on Soft Drinks".WSJ.Retrieved2023-03-10.
- ^"ABA statement on sugar-sweetened beverages and blood pressure".Archived fromthe originalon 2013-07-13.Retrieved2013-07-13.