Americans are drinking more soda than bottled water and yes it is official. After a decades-long streak of strong growth, bottled water surpassed carbonated soft drink to become the largest beverage category by volume in the United States in 2016, according to research and consulting firm Beverage Marketing Corp.
The shift comes amid widespread concerns about the health effects of sugary beverages.
Several US cities voted for the soda tax, in a bid to battle diet-related diseases, including obesity and diabetes. The consumption of bottled water in the United States reached 39.3 gallons per capita last year, while soft drinks slipped to 38.5 gallons, Beverage Marketing Corp said. Per Capita soda consumption exceeded 50 gallons in the late 1990s and 2000s.
“When Perrier first entered the country in the 1970s, few would have predicted the heights to which bottled water would eventually climb,” said Michael Bellas, chairman and chief executive, Beverage Marketing Corp.