MEMORANDUM
To: OaklandCityCouncilandMayor
From:Sugar-SweetenedBeverageTaxCommunityAdvisoryBoard
Date: April25,2023
RE: RecommendationforSpendingSSBTaxRevenues
Recommendation:TheSugarSweetenedBeverage(SSB)CommunityAdvisoryBoard(CAB)recommendsfunding16%forcityagencies(HSDandOPRYD),16%forOUSD,60%forcommunityinvestments,and8%foradministration,evaluation,andcommunication.
WerequestthattheCityCouncilandMayoradoptthisrecommendationinitsentirety,withoutsupplantingfundsthatshouldbeinthegeneralbudget.
SSBrevenuesshouldnotbeusedtobackfillthegeneralbudget.Theyshouldbeusedtosupportprogrammingtargetedatimprovingnutrition,physicalactivity, andaccesstohealthservicesinpopulationsmostaffectedbyhealthdisparitiesasspecifiedbyMeasureHH.CitydepartmentshavenotdemonstratedthatSSBfundingisspecificallyusedforwellnessprogramsinneighborhoodswithhealthdisparities.
ThefollowingparagraphssummarizethehistoryofthetaxandprovideevidencefortheeffectivenessofthetaxforreducingconsumptionofSSBandfortheimportanceofcommunity-basedorganizations(CBOs)inimplementingthetax.
1. In2016,OaklandVoterspassedMeasureHHasageneraltaxandestablishedaCommunityAdvisoryBoard(CAB)toadviseandmakerecommendationsonhowtheSugar-SweetenedBeverage(SSB)taxrevenueshouldbespent.2. Consistently,theCABbudgetrecommendationshavenotbeenfollowedbytheMayorandCityCouncil.Mostrecently,forFiscalYear2022–23,theCABrecommendedthattheCityCouncilandMayorallocate60%oftherevenuetograntstoCBOs,whiletheapprovedbudgetallocatedmerely25%forthatpurpose.3. TheSSBtaxisevidence-based,incommunitiesacrossthecountryandinOaklandspecifically,tobeeffectiveinreducingsugarconsumptionandimprovinghealthoutcomes.4. PartnershipswithCBOsarekeyinsuccessfullyimplementingandmeasuringtheimpactofSSBprograms.CBOsexpandreachindeliveringsuppliesandservices,innovating,fuelinglearningacrossagencies,recruitingandconductingoutreachforeducationalprogramming,andgainingexpertiseforimplementation.
Thefollowingparagraphsprovidesupportingbackgroundandevidence.
April25,2023 Page1
SUPPORTINGBACKGROUNDANDEVIDENCE
1.KeyLanguagefromMeasureHH
“TheCommunityAdvisoryBoardshalladviseandmakerecommendationsonhowandtowhatextenttheCityCouncilshouldestablishand/orfundprogramstopreventorreducethehealthconsequencesoftheconsumptionofsugarsweetenedbeveragesinOaklandcommunities,includingbutnotlimitedtoprogramsandprojectstoimprovecommunitynutrition,reducechildhoodobesityandtoothdecay,increasephysicalactivityandpreventdiabetesinchildrenandfamilies,especiallythosemostaffectedbyhealthdisparities.… TheCommunityAdvisoryBoardshallpublishanannualreportthatincludesthefollowing:
1)RecommendationsonhowtoallocatetheCity'sgeneralfundstoreducetheconsumptionofsugarsweetenedbeveragesinOaklandandtoaddresstheresultsofsuchconsumption; 2)HowandtowhatextenttheCityCouncilandMayorhaveimplementedtherecommendationspresentedbytheBoard; 3)Information,ifavailable,concerningtheimpactofthisChapteronthepublichealthoftheresidentsoftheCity;and 4)AnyadditionalinformationthatthePaneldeemsappropriate.… Within15daysofreceiptofthepublicationoftheAdvisoryBoard'sannualreport,theCityAdministratorshallcausethereporttobepublishedontheCity'sInternetwebsiteandtobetransmittedtotheCityCouncil.”
2.PercentageofResidentswithDiabetes,byZipCode
https://www.healthyalamedacounty.org/indicators/index/view?indicatorId=81&localeTypeId=4 April25,2023 Page2
3.CABbudgetrecommendationshavenotbeenfollowedbytheMayorandCityCouncil AsshowninthefollowingTableandFigure,theCAB’srecommendationwasnotfollowedinFY22-23,withadisproportionatelyhighleveloffundingdirectedtoCityprogramsandnotcommunitygrants.(Sisneros-Lobato,2022) https://www.spur.org/news/2022-12-09/how-are-oakland-and-san-francisco-spending-their-soda-tax-revenues April25,2023 Page3
Source:Mathematicaevaluation,2022.
4.TheSSBTaxisEvidence-BasedforReducingSugarConsumptionandImprovingHealthOutcomes. a)Inahighlyinfluential2022reviewpublishedinthejournalNature,therelationshipofSSBwithnegativehealthoutcomesiswellacceptedfrom“arobustbodyofevidence[that]haslinkedhabitualintakeofSSBswithweightgainandahigherrisk…oftype2diabetesmellitus,cardiovasculardiseasesandsomecancers,whichmakesthesebeveragesacleartargetforpolicyandregulatoryactions.”(MalikandHu,2022) b)AUCSFstudypublishedinPLOSOneandreportedbytheSFChronicleconcludedthatOakland’sSSBtaxwasassociatedwithasustained27%declineinvolumeofSSBspurchased,withnoevidenceofcross-bordershoppingorcaloricsubstitutionresultingfromimplementationofthetax. c)Researchhasbeentranslatedtopolicy.In2019,theAmericanAcademyofPediatrics,recommendedthat“Priceincreases[ofsugar-sweetenedbeverages]areassociatedwithadecreaseinconsumption.”(Muth,2019) April25,2023 Page4
4.PartnershipswithCBOshavebeenidentifiedasakeyresourceinimplementingSSBprograms. a. TheCityofOaklandSSBstaffersandCABhaveestablishedrelationshipswith40community-basedorganizations:
18ReasonsActaNonVerba:YouthUrbanFarmProjectAlamedaCountyCommunityFoodBank,Inc.AlamedaHealthConsortiumAsianHealthServicesBayAreaCommunityResources,Inc.BlackCulturalZoneCommunityDevelopmentCorpCitySlickerFarmsCommunityKitchensEastBayUnitedSoccerClubEastOaklandYouthDevelopmentCenter EdenI&R,Inc.FreshApproachFriendsofPeraltaHaciendaHistoricalParkHealthInitiativesforYouthHopeCollaborativeInAdvance(SugarFreedomProject)KidsCookingforLifeLaCl ί nicadeLaRaza,Inc.LifelongMedicalCareLivingtheDreamMandelaPartnersMercyRetirementandCareCenterNativeAmericanHealthCenter, Inc.OaklandLacrosseClubOaklandSoccerClubPlantingJustice PublicHealthInstituteCenterforWellnessandNutritionRootsCommunityHealthCenterSABAGrocersSafePassagesServiceOpportunityforSeniorsSoccerWithoutBordersSOS:MealsonWheelsSpectrumCommunityServices,Inc.TIDESCenterTheYouthEmploymentPartnership,Inc.UrbanStrategiesCouncilYMCA b.A2021reportinthejournalHealthEquityidentifiedpartnershipswithCBOsasakeyresourceinimplementingSSBprograms.(Asadaandcolleagues,2021) “AcriticalstrategyforensuringequitablefundingrecommendationsisintheappointingofanindependentCAB, which,inOakland,representedthediversecommunitybothincompositionandpolicyimplementation,throughleadershipandpartnerships.EngaginglocaladvocacyorganizationswithexistingtiestocommunitiesmarginalizedbystructuralinequitiesaffordedtheCAB, andthustheCity, anintimateknowledgeoftheculturalandhistoricalinjusticesleadingtodisparities(e.g.,OUSDelevatedleadlevels).TheliteratureonequitableimplementationofSSBtaxesislimited,butbroaderliteratureemphasizesinclusivity, buildingtrust,andengagingcommunitymembers,particularlythosemarginalizedcommunities,topartakeinimplementationdecisions.” c.Instakeholderinterviews,partnershipswithcommunitypartnerswereidentifiedaskeyresourcesinimplementingSSBprograms.Partnershipshelpedexpandreachindeliveringsuppliesandservices,fuellearningacrossagencies,recruitandconductoutreachfor April25,2023 Page5
educationalprogramming,andgainexpertiseforimplementation.(Mathematicaevaluation,2022).Inaddition,SSBgrantstoCBOsoftenprovideseedfundingsthatamplifiestheorganization’sabilitytoobtaingrantsfromotherfundingsources. d.RevenuesdivertedtoCityprogramsoftendonottargetthosemostaffectedbyhealthdisparities.SeveralCitydepartmentsthathavebeenfundedbySSBtaxeshavenotdemonstratedthatfundingisspecificallyusedforwellnessprogramsinneighborhoodswithhealthdisparities.
References
1. Sisneros-LobatoP.HowareOaklandandSanFranciscoSpendingTheirSodaTaxRevenues?December9,2022.Availableathttps://www.spur.org/news/2022-12-09/how-are-oakland-and-san-francisco-spending-their-soda-tax-revenues.2. MathematicaEvaluation.KarmaliR,HuM,AyyagariR,LansdaleA,GiudiceG,HuC,StrongH.ReducingConsumptionsofSugar-SweetenedBeverages:ProfilesandServicesSupportedbySugar-SweetenedBeverageTaxFunding(DraftReport).June2022.
3. MalikVS,HuFB.Theroleofsugar-sweetenedbeveragesintheglobalepidemicsofobesityandchronicdiseases.NatRevEndocrinol.2022Apr;18(4):205-218.doi:10.1038/s41574-021-00627-6.Epub2022Jan21.PMID:35064240;PMCID:PMC8778490.4. MuthND,DietzWH,MaggeSN,JohnsonRK;AMERICANACADEMYOFPEDIATRICS;SECTIONONOBESITY;COMMITTEEONNUTRITION;AMERICANHEARTASSOCIATION.PublicPoliciestoReduceSugaryDrinkConsumptioninChildrenandAdolescents.Pediatrics.2019Apr;143(4):e20190282.doi:10.1542/peds.2019-0282.5. LeiderJ,PowellLM.Longer-termimpactsoftheOakland,California,sugar-sweetenedbeveragetaxonpricesandvolumesoldattwo-yearspost-tax.SocSciMed.2022Jan;292:114537.doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114537.6. AsadaY,PipitoAA,ChriquiJF,TaherS,PowellLM.Oakland'sSugar-SweetenedBeverageTax:Honoringthe"Spirit"oftheOrdinanceTowardEquitableImplementation.HealthEquity.2021Feb2;5(1):35-41.doi:10.1089/heq.2020.0079.7. CawleyJ,FrisvoldD,JonesD.Multi-CityStudyShowsBeverageTaxesRaisePrices,ReduceandShiftPurchases,October2019.publishedinEconHumBiol.2020May;37:100865.https://www.mathematica.org/publications/multi-city-study-shows-beverage-taxes-raise-prices-reduce-and-shift-purchases.8. WhiteJS,BasuS,KaplanS,MadsenKA,Villas-BoasSB,SchillingerD(2023)Evaluationofthesugar-sweetenedbeveragetaxinOakland,UnitedStates,2015–2019:Aquasi-experimentalandcost-effectivenessstudy.PLoSMed20(4):e1004212.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004212 April25,2023 Page6