September 17, 2012 - The federal government's [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) pays at least $2 billion annually for sugar-sweetened beverages purchased in grocery stores](http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/resources/upload/docs/what/economics/SNAP_SSB_Purchases_AJPM_10.12.pdf) alone, according to a study recently published by the Rudd Center in the _American_ _Journal of Preventive Medicine_. The study provided a conservative estimate on spending because it did not include sugar-sweetened beverage SNAP purchases from other retail channels such as convenience stores or Walmart.
Researchers found that 58 percent of all refreshment beverages purchased by SNAP participants were for sugar-sweetened beverages such as regular soda, fruit drinks, and sports drinks. According to the researchers, SNAP benefits paid for 72 percent of these purchases.
"SNAP benefits are critically important in helping low-income families put food on the table, and in this economy, many American families could not feed their children without the federal food assistance provided by SNAP," said Tatiana Andreyeva, PhD, lead author and Director of Economic Initiatives at the Rudd Center.
URL: http://www.yaleruddcenter.org/federal-food-program-pays-billions-for-sugar-sweetened-beverages
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