USDA Allows 23 States to Ban Soda SNAP Purchases

The United States Department of Agriculture has authorized 23 states to restrict the use of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for the purchase of soda and other sugary drinks. This move aligns with the Make America Healthy Again movement. Currently, eight states have these bans in effect, 10 are in the process of implementing them, and five were previously blocked by a federal court ruling.

A working paper from the National Bureau of Economic Research found that these restrictions resulted in a modest 13 percent decline in soda purchases among SNAP recipients, with the sharpest decrease occurring among those most reliant on the program. Despite these findings, economists and public health experts have raised concerns regarding the lack of rigorous evaluation and whether the results are sustainable over the long term.

Parallel to these restrictions, the Trump administration has tightened SNAP eligibility rules. These policy changes led to a decrease of 5.6 million enrollees, leaving a total of 36.6 million participants as of May.