Many countries have argued that an increased tax on sugar may prevent obesity and many other diseases associated with it.
BEACON TRANSCRIPT – In order to wage war on obesity, many countries have taken ample steps in order to prevent or to minimize the effects of this type of epidemic. Lately, it would seem that more countries have joined the fight against obesity by increasing the tax on sugar. According to a report, raising the sugar tax might prevent obesity although there are voices who suggests that the measures will have no impact on public health.
Lately, more and more countries seem eager to take action on the ever increasing numbers of obesity cases. While some of them choose to warn people through ample health campaigns, there are other who have considered more direct means of dealing with the issue. And so the tax on sugar was born, which basically works the same way as the tax on cigarettes or alcohol. So, if you are in a disposition to puff a cig or gulp down an extra glass of wine, then you will have to pay something extra.
Same thing applies to the soft drinks and other beverages that contain high levels of sugar. Moreover, the tax is not only restricted to drinks, but it also encompasses foods packed with high levels of sugar.
The increased intake of sugar can contribute to the development of obesity, which, in time, makes you susceptible to other afflictions, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and even cancer.
Many countries out there understood the risks involved and choose to take action. And so, the Scandinavian countries were the first to employ the tax on sugar, followed by France and Hungary in 2012.
Two years later, Mexico decided to join the fight against obesity, by proposing a new health policy which, among other things, included a raised tax on sugary beverages and foods. However, although things went remarkably well in other countries which adopted this law, it would seem that Mexico received this new law with suspicion.
In fact, several beverage manufacturers from Mexico who opposed the new tax used the media in order to demonstrate that a tax increase would not improve public health. Meanwhile, big league players like Pepsi or Coca-Cola did not care to make any comments regarding the taxation project.
Raising the sugar tax might prevent obesity and improve public health. However, there are a couple of voices out there who oppose this project saying that the new project has little to no effect on public health. Meanwhile, more and more countries have begun to discuss the project including India, Great Britain, Indonesia and the Philippines.
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