Doctors are calling on the Federal Government to slug Australians with a sugar tax on soft drinks, which would rake in $814 million annually.
The Australian Medical Association (AMA) is pushing for the introduction of a 16 cent levy for a regular can of soft drink as a way to tackle obesity cases and raise funds for public health campaigns, warning the Australian Government risks falling behind other countries.
Its latest report showed there were 85 jurisdictions around the world which had implemented a sugar tax on fizzy drinks and it also highlighted how dental cavities have been found in the baby teeth of four in 10 Aussie children.
AMA vice president Dr Danielle McMullen said Australia was becoming the odd one out in the world by not adopting a sugar tax.
“Australians drink enough sugary drinks to fill 960 Olympic swimming pools each year. We need something to break the addiction and help people choose water instead,” she said.
“We’re recommending the Federal Government tax 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 for that you’ll get a great health outcome.”
The peak doctor’s lobby said the sugar tax would help discourage consumption and reduce chronic health problems.
“Over a 25-year period, we estimate this would result in 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 4400 fewer cases of heart disease and 1100 fewer cases of stroke,” Dr McMullen said.
“It would also generate revenue of up to $814 million annually which we say should be spent on preventive health measures.”
The tax would not apply to zero-sugar soft drinks sweetened with other products, fruit juice, cordial or milk-based drinks.
The AMA has launched a campaign, called Sickly Sweet, which highlights how the average 375ml soft drink contains up to 50g of sugar – more than double the daily recommended amount.
Its research also revealed that Australians consume more than 2.4 billion litres of sugary drinks annually.
“It’s just baffling why Australia is unwilling to take advantage of this win-win situation, especially at a time when healthcare costs are under the spotlight, you’d think the government would take every opportunity to reduce the chronic disease burden on the health system and improve its bottom line at the same time,” Dr McMullen said.
“The AMA will continue pushing for a sugary drinks tax because it’s the right thing to do for the health of Australians, it will save lives and millions of dollars in healthcare costs.”
Its report showed that World Health Organisation data had revealed a sugar tax had reduced consumption in other countries and also forced manufacturers to reformulate their drinks.
A sugar tax has been implemented in countries such as the US, Mexico, UK, Spain, France, South Africa, India and Morocco.