Medical Associations in Australia Call for a Tax on Sugary Drinks

Apart from general health, sugary drinks also affect oral health. Tooth decay was the most prevalent chronic disease in Australia, costing a whopping $4.5 billion in 2019. Sugary drinks contribute to tooth decay through their acidity action and being a source of nutrition to bacteria in the mouth.

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Loss of tooth structure contributing to pain, loss of function, aesthetic changes, and bad breath are the effects of acidity contributed by sugary drinks. Potentially preventable hospitalizations for dental diseases were seen in 10 in 1000 children aged 5-9 years. Whereas, untreated tooth decay is present in 1 in 4 Australian children and 1 in 3 adults.

Fresh Calls for Sugar Tax on Soft Drinks to Save Lives

Sugar-sweetened beverages have also contributed to Australia’s obesity crisis. AMA’s research shows that imposing a tax on selected sugary drinks would reduce sugar consumption from soft drinks by 12 to 18 percent, which might lead to far better health outcomes().

The tax would also raise $749 to $814 million in revenue each year, which could be invested into preventative health initiatives to improve the health and well-being of Australians. But a broad range of measures would be required to tackle social and cultural inequities that prevent regular dental care.

Even the Dental Health Week campaign stressed the greater impact of poor oral health. Several studies revealed the link between oral health and numerous chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease.

The global beverage giants should consider the escalating health problems caused by sugary drinks and must be ready to act on reducing the quantity of consumption and sugar additions.

Henceforth, Australia should follow the lead of other countries and put a tax on sugary drinks. A new report found Australia was behind more than 85 countries and jurisdictions and risked being the odd one out if it didn’t implement the tax.

The continuing efforts of the AMA for a sugary-drinks tax will be the right thing to do for the health of Australians. It will save lives and millions of dollars in healthcare costs.

References:

1. Malik, Vasanti S, and Frank B Hu. The role of sugar-sweetened beverages in the global epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases. Nature reviews. Endocrinology vol. 18,4 (2022).(https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-021-00627-6)
2. Donnelly, Grant E et al. A Salient Sugar Tax Decreases Sugary-Drink Buying. Psychological science vol. 32,11 (2021): 1830-1841.(https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/09567976211017022)

Source: Medindia