Last week the AMA renewed its call for a sugar tax to combat obesity and chronic disease, launching a new report on the issue.
Last week the AMA renewed its call for a sugar tax to combat obesity and chronic disease, launching a new report on the issue.
The AMA relaunched its with calls for Australia to join the growing number of countries putting a sugar tax on sugary drinks.
The AMA’s latest report on the issue, , argues the tax is an effective preventative health measure and would reduce Australians’ consumption of sugary drinks, which are associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay.
It shows an additional 40 countries and jurisdictions globally have adopted a sugar tax since the AMA’s first and includes a new focus on oral health. The report details how sugary drinks decay and erode teeth and highlights shocking AIHW findings including a prevalence of dental caries in the baby teeth of 42 per cent (four in ten) of Australian children.
The AMA call for a sugar-sweetened beverages tax follows new evidence from the World Health Organization on the effectiveness of sugar taxes around the world in an , that also debunks tactics used by drinks industries seeking to dissuade implementation.
The campaign relaunch kicked off with a bang, with AMA Vice President Dr Danielle McMullen joining to discuss why a sugar tax is important and what it can achieve. The story was also covered on and at length in .
Dr McMullen highlighted the fact that Australians drinks enough sugary drinks to fill 960 Olympic swimming pools each year.
The AMA is recommending the federal government add a tax of 40 cents on every 100g of sugar manufacturers add to drinks ─ that will mean just a 16-cent increase to the price of a regular can of fizzy drink, but the health outcomes will be significant for individuals while reducing future burdens on the health system.
