American Beverage Association facts for kids
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Trade name
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ABA |
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| Trade Association | |
| Industry | Non-Alcoholic Beverage Industry |
| Predecessor | American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages; National Soft Drink Association |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Headquarters |
United States
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Key people
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Matthew Dent, Chair |
| Services | Lobbying on behalf of non-alcoholic beverage producers |
The American Beverage Association (ABA) is a group that works to represent companies that make non-alcoholic drinks in the United States. Its members include big names like The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo. They make popular drinks such as soft drinks and other non-alcoholic beverages.
History of the ABA
The organization started in 1919. It was first called the American Bottlers of Carbonated Beverages. Later, in 1966, its name changed to the National Soft Drink Association. In November 2004, the group changed its name again to the American Beverage Association. This new name showed that they now represented many different kinds of non-alcoholic drinks.
Who Leads the ABA?
The members of the American Beverage Association are mostly companies that bottle drinks. This includes many Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola bottlers. Other beverage companies are also part of this group.
How the ABA Works with Government
The American Beverage Association works to speak for its members to government officials. This is called lobbying. Recently, the ABA has spent a lot more money on these efforts. They do this to oppose ideas about increasing taxes on soft drinks. Some people believe these taxes could help improve Americans' health.
The ABA has created a group called "Americans Against Food Taxes." They also have a website and run advertisements. Their goal is to show that these proposed taxes would be unfair to families. Other groups, like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, have disagreed with the ABA's actions.
Many states already have taxes on soft drinks. However, these taxes are often very small. They are usually not enough to change how many drinks people buy. Also, the money from these taxes is not always used for health programs.
See also
- Maureen Storey, who has written many official statements for the ABA.
