(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Cook County's short-lived soda tax did in fact cut down the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks.
Dr. Lisa Powell and her team at the University of Illinois Chicago studied data from grocery stores and other supermarkets throughout Cook County between August and November of 2017.
"What we found is that the volume sold of beverages fell 21 percent, even after accounting for cross-border shopping,” Powell said.
Only 6% of consumers crossed county lines to avoid the one-cent, per-ounce tax.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle pushed through the sweetened-beverage tax as a way to combat known health issues associated with the drinks. Critics called it a cash grab, and store owners said their businesses were hurt as a result.
The unpopular tax was quickly rescinded, but Powell said it still worked: "The implications are that taxes are potentially an effective method for reducing consumption of sugar beverages known to contribute to chronic health conditions."
Powell says the goal of the study was to prove whether or not health-related policies are effective.
“We are continuously evaluating them so that we can have the best policies put in place."