scholarly journals Impact of Saudi Arabia's Sugary Drink Tax on Prices and Purchases (P10-066-19)

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reem Alsukait ◽  
Parke Wilde ◽  
Sara Bleich ◽  
Gitanjali Singh ◽  
Sara Folta
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Energy Drink ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Excise Taxes ◽  
Gulf Countries ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Arab Gulf ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objectives Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) has been associated with weight gain and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Use of governmental policies, such as taxation, to reduce SSB consumption, has been successful in a number of global settings. However, the impact of such tax has not been examined in Arab Gulf countries where prevalence of obesity is high, and a unified excise tax was adopted in 2016. This tax increased the price of soda and energy drinks by 50% and 100% respectively, making it the largest beverage tax to date. date. Saudi Arabia was the first of the six Arab Gulf countries to implement these taxes in June 2017, followed by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, and Qatar. Saudi Arabia additionally added a 5% value added tax (VAT) to their beverage tax in 2018. We describe the impact of these excise taxes by examining price changes and purchases of taxed beverages pre-post taxation in Saudi Arabia Methods This is an observational study of a natural experiment with a pre-post design. The Saudi General Authority for Statistics’ national-level monthly survey of average prices for soda from 2009–2018 was used to describe the changes in the prices of the taxed beverage before and after the tax's implementation. The 2004–2018 Euromonitor annual volume sales data for Saudi Arabia was used to describe the changes in soda and energy drink sales. Results Post beverage and VAT implementation, annual pruchases (volume per capita) of soda and energy drinks were reduced by 41% and 58%, respectively in 2018 compared to 2016. During the same time period, soda prices prices increased by 67% compared to the announced 55% tax rate (price per can from 1.5 to 2.5 Saudi Riyals). Prior to the implementation of excise taxes, soda prices have been consistent in Saudi Arabia, except for one price increase by manufacturers in 2010 (Figure 1). Conclusions These results highlight the substantial impact of excise taxation on the reduction of soda and energy drink sales in Saudi Arabia and contribute to the growing body of global evidence on the effects of SSB taxation on consumption, especially in other Arab Gulf countries that have implemented a similar tax structure. Funding Sources Reem Alsukait is a doctoral student supported by King Saud University, Saudi Arabia. Supporting Tables, Images and/or Graphs

scholarly journals The Impact of Sectarian Conflict in Syria on Iran-Gulf Relations

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saleem A. Salih Al-Dulaimi ◽  
Mohammad Kamal ◽  
Dalal Mahmoud Elsayed
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Open Approach ◽  
Gulf Region ◽  
Gulf Countries ◽  
Proxy War ◽  
Gulf States ◽  
Sectarian Conflict ◽  
Arab Gulf ◽  
Arab Gulf States ◽  
The Impact

Iran-Gulf relations are a confusing maze of complexities and contradictions. Iran’s voracious aspirations have been manifest in more than one act and place. The 1979 Revolution created a pervasive atmosphere of anxiety and fear in the Gulf region of that revolution’s ideological expansion into the Gulf states, especially those countries in which Shiites form important parts of their societies. In the Iran-Iraq war 1980, on the other hand, the Arab Gulf states supported Iraq against Iran as it was a proxy war to protect the Arab Gulf states, and Saddam Hussein, nevertheless, ended up occupying Kuwait in 1990. And then the Iranian-Gulf relations took a new turn at the time of both presidents Hashemi Rafsanjani and Mohammad Khatami, who adopted an open approach to the Gulf countries. However, those relations worsened when Ahmadinejad came to power as he started to export the revolutionary thought to the Gulf countries and extended the Iranian influence to Iraq after 2003, to Syria in the aftermath of the revolution that erupted in Syria in 2011 and to the Gulf Cooperation Council states, especially in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain. All this comes at the expense of the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, which is keen to maintain its influential role in the face of Iranian encroachment in Syria, through the support of the Syrian revolution, which seeks to overthrow Iran's ally in Damascus, Bashar al-Assad. Therefore, this study is trying to find an answer to this question: how has sectarian conflict in Syria impacted the Iranian-Gulf relations?

Abstract 12640: Energy Drinks Prolong Early Repolarization (J-T Peak ) Phase in a Healthy Population

Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel R Kaplan ◽  
Ghufran Syed ◽  
Teri Kozik
Keyword(s):  
Torsade De Pointes ◽  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Energy Drink ◽  
Healthy Population ◽  
Specific Marker ◽  
Qtc Interval ◽  
Qtc Prolongation ◽  
Early Repolarization ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Energy Drink Consumption

Introduction: Energy drinks continue to be the fastest growing beverage market with sales expected to reach $60 billion in the next few years, yet have demonstrated adverse cardiovascular effects such as prolongation of the QTc interval on EKG. While QTc prolongation observed with certain drugs has long been used as an indicator of increased risk of torsade de pointes, recent data has identified the early repolarization interval J-T peak (JTp) as a more specific marker for proarrhythmic potential. Drugs that selectively block the human ether-a-go-go related (hERG) potassium ion channel prolong QTc by prolonging both early repolarization (JTp) and late repolarization (T peak -T end [Tpe] interval), and are associated with an increased risk of torsade. In contrast, drugs that additionally block inward late sodium and L-type calcium prolong QTc by prolonging Tpe but not JTp, and have demonstrated reduced risk of torsade. In 2018, the C-Energy-X study demonstrated QTc prolongation in 22 healthy subjects (mean age 28 ± 7yrs) who consumed energy drink while at rest and following short periods of exercise. Our study provides a secondary analysis of this data in terms of its effect on JTp, a potentially more specific marker for torsade risk. Methods: Using H-Scribe software, two evaluators independently measured JTp and RR intervals from C-Energy-X subjects pre- and post-energy drink consumption in the rest and exercise phases. Values were corrected for heart rate using the linear correction formula JTpc=JTp + 0.150(1-RR), where RR is R-to-R interval. Mean JTpc values from each phase were analyzed using a paired sample two-tailed t -test. Results: In the resting phase following energy drink consumption (PCr), there was a statistically significant increase in JTpc intervals for 77% of subjects by a mean of 10.5ms (baseline=234 ± 21.3ms; PCr=245 ± 22.0ms; p =0.015). In the exercise phase following energy drink consumption (PCe), 64% of subjects increased JTpc intervals by a mean of 0.8ms which was not significant (baseline=225 ± 15.7ms; PCe=226 ± 17.9ms; p =0.845). Conclusion: In the resting phase, energy drink consumption was associated with statistically significant prolongation of JTpc, suggesting a theoretical increased risk of torsade de pointes.

scholarly journals The Impact of Electronic Commerce on Motivating the Investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 13-27
Author(s):  
Thair A. Habboush ◽  
Badi F. Alanazi
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
State Level ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Age Group ◽  
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
Study Population ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Impact

The study aimed to identify the impact of E-Commerce (regulations and legislations, infrastructure, manpower) on stimulating investment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. We applied the descriptive-analytical method for achieving the study objectives. The questionnaire was administered to collect the data that were then analyzed using the SPSS system to provide answers for related questions and hypotheses. A random sample of 250 volunteering investors was taken, and the number of respondents reached 202 respondents, which represents 81% of the study population. We found that there is a significant impact of E-Commerce on motivating the investment and the existence of a statistically significant correlation between the independent variables as a whole were confirmed. The study also finds a substantial impact of the age variable on the investment in the KSA at the level (α=0.05), and the differences emerge of the age group (31-40). A few recommendations are provided, such as intensifying the studies within the subject domain by using different research methods. Further, another recommendation is to conduct different practical scientific studies on the state level to develop a structured and gradual mechanism for converting 85% of the conventional retail sector to E-Commerce in accordance with the KSA vision in 2030.

scholarly journals Overproduction of gastric mucus as a mechanism of stomach’s mucosa protection during energy drinks consumption in Wistar rats

2018 ◽  
Vol 72 ◽  
pp. 376-380
Author(s):  
Ruby Maini ◽  
Ewelina Wawryk-Gawda ◽  
Mirosław Sławiński ◽  
Paweł Halczuk ◽  
Beata Cichacz-Kwiatkowska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wistar Rats ◽  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Energy Drink ◽  
The Body ◽  
Gastric Mucus ◽  
Gastric Glands ◽  
Mucus Production ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Stimulation Of

Aim: Energy drinks are the most consumed, socially accepted stimulants in the world. They are drunk by drivers and students, and more often also by adolescents and children. It has been noted that some adverse events are due to the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system and include palpitations, hypertension, diuresis, nausea, vomiting, and convulsions. The health consequences of long-term consumption of energy drinks are not known, but we suppose that continuous stimulation of the body can lead to irreparable changes of tissues. In our study we investigated the impact of long-term energy drink consumption on gastric mucus production. Material/Methods: Ten male young Wistar rats of of 190 grams +/- 64 grams of weight were positioned in two groups: A (experimental) and C (control). The animals of A group received energy drink for 8 weeks. The animals of C group drank just water. After this time the rats of both groups were decapitated and the stomach was taken for histological analysis. The slides were stained with H&E and PAS method and analyzed with Cell^D software. Results: H&E staining indicated an increase in the thickness of the lamina propria of the glandular stomach. PAS staining indicated an increased area of mucus in the gastric glands of the stomach of the experimental group of rats. Conclusions: Regular consumption of energy drinks can lead to changes in the mucosal lining of the stomach, which activate mucus secretion.

scholarly journals Valued Added Tax (VAT) Impact on Economic and Societal Well-Beings (Pre-and Post COVID19): A Perception Study From Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 92
Author(s):  
Siti Norwahida Shukeri ◽  
Faisal D Alfordy
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Tax System ◽  
Income Source ◽  
Oil Reserves ◽  
Consumption Behaviour ◽  
Younger Generation ◽  
Legislative Changes ◽  
The Impact

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) has realized that merely relying on oil reserves, as the main income source will stop the country from achieving sustainable economic growth due to the instability of world oil market prices and its uncertainties. Hence, the first Value Added Tax (VAT) has been introduced in KSA in 2018 following to the urge by International Monetary Fund (IMF). However, VAT implementation in the Kingdom is not free from criticisms since its citizens, particularly younger generation, have been used to tax-free livings. In addition, the global health pandemic of COVID19 has hit major economies worldwide. In correspondence, KSA has decided to increase its VAT rate to 15% from 5% by the 1st of July 2020, which may suggest a different pattern of consumption behaviour since the rate has been drastically increased. Therefore, this study aims to examine the perception of Saudi younger generation on the acceptance of VAT based on five categorical factors underlying Saudi younger generation’s level of acceptance or rejection of VAT, namely; tax system effectiveness (TSE), income generation sources (IGS), income inequality (II), system knowledge (SK) and global practice (GP). The study also is set to examine the impact of VAT on Saudi younger generation’s consumption behaviour.  Using a sample of 460 respondents, the findings reveal that most of the respondents (89.6%) are aware of VAT implementation. However, the negative perceptions found from the analysis shows that VAT is not an efficient tax system to be implemented (average TSE = 45.6% less favourable) as the VAT system does not provide income inequality among citizens (average II= 45.3 percent less favourable). Moreover, the results also show that VAT implementation does not affect the consumption behaviour, suggesting that Saudi younger generation still spends regardless of VAT. Limited studies among the GCC academics on VAT has motivated this research to be among the first attempt to document such impact and to consider it in lights of new legislative changes due to COVID-19. Hence, this study is both timely and relevant to provide new understandings to responsible authorities regarding its VAT system, its acceptance and impacts on consumption behaviour in lights of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Human mobility in response to COVID-19 in France, Italy and UK

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Galeazzi ◽  
Matteo Cinelli ◽  
Giovanni Bonaccorsi ◽  
Francesco Pierri ◽  
Ana Lucia Schmidt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Mobility ◽  
Substantial Reduction ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Economic Consequences ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Percolation Process ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Network Disruption ◽  
National Governments ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe COVID-19 pandemic is one of the defining events of our time. National Governments responded to the global crisis by implementing mobility restrictions to slow down the spread of the virus. To assess the impact of those policies on human mobility, we perform a massive comparative analysis on geolocalized data from 13 M Facebook users in France, Italy, and the UK. We find that lockdown generally affects national mobility efficiency and smallworldness—i.e., a substantial reduction of long-range connections in favor of local paths. The impact, however, differs among nations according to their mobility infrastructure. We find that mobility is more concentrated in France and UK and more distributed in Italy. In this paper we provide a framework to quantify the substantial impact of the mobility restrictions. We introduce a percolation model mimicking mobility network disruption and find that node persistence in the percolation process is significantly correlated with the economic and demographic characteristics of countries: areas showing higher resilience to mobility disruptions are those where Value Added per Capita and Population Density are high. Our methods and findings provide important insights to enhance preparedness for global critical events and to incorporate resilience as a relevant dimension to estimate the socio-economic consequences of mobility restriction policies.

scholarly journals The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents’ behavior toward scheduled pediatric vaccinations in Saudi Arabia

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (08) ◽  
pp. 1054-1058
Author(s):  
Abdullah Saleh Al-Nafeesah ◽  
Abdullah Saleh Aldamigh ◽  
Basel Abdulrahman Almansoor ◽  
Osama Al-Wutayd ◽  
Ashwaq Ahmed AlE'ed
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
World Health ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Impact

Introduction: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by a newly discovered coronavirus and has resulted in a global pandemic. The World Health Organization recommended avoiding any delay or disruption of immunization services, as this could result in increases in outbreak-prone vaccine-preventable diseases. This study aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on parents’ behaviour towards their children’s scheduled vaccinations. Methodology: This web-based cross-sectional study recruited 1,143 parents/guardians of children below six years of age living in Saudi Arabia between May 1 and May 30, 2020 via social media platforms. A self-developed online questionnaire consisting of eight items was used. Simple and multiple binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with vaccine delay during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The parents/guardians were aged 20–60 years; 82% were aged between 20 and 39 years. It was found that 26% of parents did not vaccinate their children on time according to the national immunization schedule in regular situations, and 38% of parents reported delaying vaccination due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The multiple logistic regression analysis found that having two or more children, living in Riyadh or the Western region or not vaccinating children during regular situations were associated with an increased risk of vaccine delay during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusions: Delaying children’s vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic was influenced most by living in regions with high COVID-19 prevalence and having two or more children.

COVID-19 in People with Diabetes: Perspectives from Saudi Arabia

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asirvatham Alwin Robert ◽  
Mohamed Abdulaziz Al Dawish
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Major Health ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The World ◽  
Risk Of Disease ◽  
The Government ◽  
Evidence Based Programs ◽  
The Impact

Abstract:: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and diabetes have major impacts on the health of the population across the world. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, people with diabetes have been identified to be more vulnerable to infection and greater risk for hospitalization. As diabetes is one of the major health issues in Saudi Arabia, the current study describes the perspectives of COVID-19 in people with diabetes and the steps taken by the government to minimize the impact of it. Most patients with COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia, experience mild illness, while people with diabetes are at increased risk of disease severity and mortality. The government of Saudi Arabia has taken several measures to control and mitigate the effect of the pandemic, as Saudi population gradually returning back to normal life. However, currently there are limited studies from Saudi Arabia on COVID-19 among people with diabetes and the effectiveness of interventions. We emphasize the necessity for comprehensive research, which would provide a better understanding of the incidence of COVID-19 and its association with diabetes to develop evidence-based programs and policies in the country.

Prevalence and strategies of energy drink, soda, processed snack, candy and restaurant product marketing on the online streaming platform Twitch

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (15) ◽  
pp. 2793-2803
Author(s):  
Catherine C Pollack ◽  
Jason Kim ◽  
Jennifer A Emond ◽  
John Brand ◽  
Diane Gilbert-Diamond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Energy Drinks ◽  
Energy Drink ◽  
Food Delivery ◽  
Sugar Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Sweetened Beverages ◽  
Food And Beverage ◽  
Delivery Services ◽  
Media Platform ◽  
Online Streaming ◽  
The Impact

AbstractObjective:To evaluate the prevalence of food and beverage marketing on Twitch.tv (Twitch), a social media platform where individuals broadcast live audiovisual material to millions of daily users.Design:Observational analysis of the prevalence of 238 food and beverage brands in five distinct categories (processed snacks; food delivery services and restaurants; candies, energy drinks/coffees/teas; and sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages) over the course of 18 months.Setting:Twitch streamer profiles and stream titles between January 2018 and July 2019. Twitch chat room messages during July 2019.Participants:None.Results:There was a significant increase in brand exposure on Twitch both in stream titles (sodas and candies, P < 0·05) and on streamer profiles (sodas, restaurants/food delivery services, candies, and energy drinks/coffees/teas, P < 0·05) over the 18-month study period. Energy drinks, coffees and teas had the most exposure with 1·08 billion exposure hours from profiles and 83 million exposure hours from titles. Restaurants/food delivery services and sugar-sweetened beverages were the most frequently mentioned products in chat rooms with 1·24 million messages and 1·10 million messages, respectively.Conclusions:This study is the first to demonstrate the extent by which food and beverage brands garner millions of hours of exposure on Twitch. Future studies should evaluate the impact that this level of exposure to nutrient-poor, energy-dense products may have on behavioural and health outcomes.

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