A Griffith University study published in BMJ Public Health on Wednesday found a levy applied to non-alcoholic drinks with added sugar, such as soft drinks and most juices, could prevent 3.7 million cases of tooth decay, 191,000 cases of gum disease, and 115,000 cases of complete tooth loss across Australia over the next 25 years.
Not a bad idea in theory. But sweet, carbonated beverages (on the shelf; the refrigerated bottles are kinda expensive) are one of the last, somewhat inexpensive products in supermarkets. And let’s not pretend that most of the companies will shift to alternative sweeteners… Possibly causing different ill effects on the gut… Yeah, I dunno.
That’s exactly the problem it’s intended to address. It’s cheap to buy, and expensive in its consequences.
I’ve seen it proposed that revenue from such a tax be used to subsidise fresh food, so that’s another option that would double the nudge towards healthier options while being hip-pocket-neutral for shoppers (the devil is always in the detail, of course).
I understand that. But let’s not pretend that people are going to switch to fresh produce. They’ll find a way to afford the now more expensive sodas at the literal expense of malnutrition. Some may, yes, I won’t deal in absolutes. This could be seen as an education problem (which it definitely is, in part) so perhaps that’s where the money could also be spent? Shit’s just expensive and I’m mad about it 😅