CHARLESTON, W.Va. — An attorney with the West Virginia Beverage Association is speaking out against preliminary data in a study yet to be released by Emory University regarding sugary drink consumption in the Mountain State.
The information suggests that drinking sugary beverages can lead to death, but Will Swann, legal counsel with the WVBA, said more research needs to happen.
“Even the authors of the study acknowledge that, by its own terms, this study can in no way determine if beverages with sugar cause these conditions,” Swann said, referring to obesity, diabetes and other health issues.
The study, provided to MetroNews by the American Heart Association, says adults over the age of 45 who consume large amounts of sugary beverages have a higher risk of dying from heart disease compared to those who drink fewer sugary drinks.
West Virginia has the highest sugary drink consumption in the nation, according to the study. The average consumption rate in West Virginia is 500 twelve-ounce servings per person per year. The study says more than one-third of West Virginia adults drink sugary drinks daily.
Swann said there needs to be more data to support these findings. He said more people in America are purchasing bottled water compared to soda.
“When you look on a national scale, the trend is toward bottled water, frankly. Bottled water consumption is increasing. Soda consumption is decreasing, so it’s hard to understand how this could be driving obesity when consumption is actually declining,” he said.
The AHA suggests consumers to consider healthier drink options with less sugar or no sugar at all. Swann said the WVBA and other beverage companies are already doing their part to help that cause.
“America’s beverage companies are doing their part to offer consumers fact-based information about a wide variety of beverage options both with and without sugar, so that they can make the right choices for themselves and their families,” he said.
Several groups in West Virginia, including the AHA, have pushed a sugary drink tax over the last few years in an effort to reduce consumption.
Swann said the proposed tax would be “a job killer.”
“The soft drink tax would really result in lost union jobs with good paying benefits,” he said. “In West Virginia, we need all the jobs we can get.”
The state would also lose revenue if sugary drinks were taxed, Swann added.
“It often leads to an unintended consequence of lost sales tax revenue because people — if they’re going to buy one product in another municipality that doesn’t have the tax, then they’re just going to buy everything there,” he said.
According to the WVBA’s website, soft drink companies employ more than 2,000 West Virginians. The soft drink industry contributes more than $360 million to West Virginia’s economy.