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 in the beverage industry in the United States. Its members include companies that make and bottle popular soft drinks, like The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper. They also represent other non-alcoholic drinks. The ABA's main job is to influence government decisions on behalf of these companies.
Contents
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. Then, in November 2004, the group changed its name again to its current one. This new name, the "American Beverage Association," was chosen to show that they represent many different types of non-alcoholic drinks, not just soft drinks.
Who are its Members?
The ABA's members are bottling companies and other businesses in the beverage industry. Some of these include Bulldog Americas Corporation, various Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola bottlers, Pepsi-Americas Inc, and Royal Crown Bottling Corporation. These companies work together through the ABA.
What is Lobbying?
The American Beverage Association spends a lot of money on lobbying. Lobbying means trying to convince lawmakers and government officials to make decisions that help their industry. Recently, the ABA's lobbying efforts have grown a lot. This is mainly to fight against new taxes on soft drinks. Some people want to add these taxes because of how sugary drinks might affect people's health.
From 2003 to 2008, the Association spent between $391,000 and over $690,000 each year on lobbying. In 2010, this spending increased by more than 1000 percent, reaching $8.67 million. These funds help pay for 25 lobbyists who work for seven different lobbying companies.
Current Debates on Beverage Taxes
In September 2009, a study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggested adding taxes to sugar-sweetened drinks. Experts in health and economics wrote this study. They said these taxes could help reduce diseases related to diet and lower healthcare costs. The study suggested a small tax, like one penny per ounce, on soft drinks and other drinks with added sweeteners. These sweeteners include things like sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, or fruit-juice concentrates. The idea was that such a tax could reduce how many calories people get from sweetened drinks by 10%. It could also create money for governments to use for health programs.
To fight against these tax ideas, the American Beverage Association and other beverage companies created a group called "Americans Against Food Taxes." They also have a website. This group runs advertisements and takes other actions to say that the proposed taxes would "tax hard-working families." Other groups, like the Center for Science in the Public Interest, are against the actions of "Americans Against Food Taxes."
Currently, 33 states in the U.S. have taxes on soft drinks. However, the New England Journal of Medicine study pointed out that these taxes are often "too low to affect consumption." Also, the money collected from these taxes is not always used for health programs.
See also
Maureen Storey, senior vice president for science policy and author of many of the ABA's press releases and official statements
