Evaluating Colombia¿s sugary drinks and ultraprocessed foods tax and front-of-package labeling laws

Colombia¿s SSB and UPF taxes and warning labels, which will be implemented starting in 2023, provide a unique global opportunity to advance our understanding these policies in the following ways: 1) the UPF tax is the first-ever tax that is targeting such a broad range of foods, including up to 80% of Colombia¿s packaged food supply; 2) the UPF and SSB taxes are the first ever to be combined with a single-use plastics (SUP) tax, capitalizing on increasing momentum to couple health efforts with environmental movements; 3) this is our first opportunity to understand the joint impact of a strong tax law combined with a strong FOPL system; and 4) the FOPL system includes a warning on NCS. Colombia is ideal for studying policy impact due to the growing prevalence of obesity, the increased consumption of SSBs and UPFs. Colombia also provides a unique opportunity to advance our understanding of what works to promote policy adoption. Colombia¿s coalition was able to achieve multiple policy wins despite strong political and industry opposition. Systematic evaluation of the advocacy and media campaigns that enabled policy adoption and how these affected public awareness, discourse, and policy support, will yield a toolkit to support advocacy for similar policies across the globe.