Sugar tax: sweet or sour?
It’s been a bitter-sweet pill to swallow. While the health gurus are happy, the ordinary man in the street has mixed views on whether the proposed tax on sugar-sweetened beverages will make a difference in promoting a healthier lifestyle. Here we speak to
The National Treasury has proposed imposing a sugar tax amounting to about 20 percent on sugar-sweetened drinks. Soft drinks, less than 100 percent pure fruit juices, energy drinks, vitamin water, iced tea and lemonade will all be included in the tax. Starting in April, the tax will be implemented at a rate of 2.29 cents a gram of sugar, and products that do not label their sugar content will be presumed to contain 50g/330ml.
THE INDEPENDENT on Saturday went to the Durban beachfront to hear the public’s opinion on the matter.
Tenielle Eyan, 34, of Amanzimtoti said, “I don’t really like sugary drinks, I prefer water.”
In an effort to cut her intake, Eyan has stopped adding sugar to her cereal and started reducing the amount of sugar in tea to just one teaspoonful.
“I try not to have too much salt either,” she added.
Eyan believes the tax will be good for the well-being of children. “We want our kids to be healthy. If people can’t afford to buy these products, it’s only for their benefit,” she said.
Ernie Hovelmeier, of La Lucia, said he didn’t drink sweetened beverages because he prefered beer. “I’m reasonably healthy, I exercise – usually paddling or a round of golf,” he said.
The 65-year old, who previously worked at Coca-Cola, said he didn’t understand the reason behind the tax. “Why are they targeting soft drinks? They shouldn’t call it a sugar tax if it’s only being applied to drinks,” he said.
Sweets, chocolates and other processed foods cause much more damage than sugary drinks said Hovelmeier: “I feel the government is targeting these manufacturers because there are fewer of them in SA. They would never be able to stand up to all the other manufacturers of sugary foods. They are just an easier target.”
Hovelmeier said the whole idea “is a joke”.
“Nobody was worried about sugar when I was growing up; everyone said it was good for you.”
His wife, Joan Hovelmeier, 62, drinks nothing sugary. “It’s simply because I prefer to drink water during the day.”
Hovelmeier said her secret to cutting down on sugar was to use sweeteners instead.
She also believes the change will be inefficient in reaching its goal. “It will affect us consumers a lot. It’s a bad thing. They should rather control the amount of sugar going into food instead of increasing the prices, it won’t make a difference to our health otherwise,” she said.
Previn Reddy said being a health-conscious person was what mades him manage his sugar intake. “I avoid it where possible,” he said.
“I have brown sugar instead of white, I hear that it’s healthier. I use Himalayan salt because it has less sodium. Checking the nutritional value at the back of products also helps keep me informed on what is inside the food I eat.”
Reddy said the tax would be good for South Africans, “It will benefit the public by helping them live a healthier lifestyle.”
Shashi Gopaul, 47, of Newcastle, said she consumed sugary drinks because they tasted good and gave her energy.
“No, I’m not trying to cut down, although I am conscious of my health in other ways,” said Gopaul. “I think it’s very bad. All the prices are increasing but our wages are not. It’s becoming difficult for people to afford even the basic necessities.”
Gopaul added that people who enjoyed sugary things would seek them out regardless of the tax. “If somebody likes sugar, this won’t stop them from having it.”
Johannesburg resident Thariq Badrudeen, 17, said he did not care about the effects of sweetened beverages. “I really enjoy soft drinks. For now, I don’t really care about the effects that it might have in the future because I’m young,” he said.
Badrudeen said the sugar legislation would bring about positive changes for people who had difficulty cutting back on sugary drinks.
Thanda Khanyile, 19, of New Germany said he was concerned about the increased prices affecting his parents. “I want my siblings to be able to enjoy these things and for my parents to be able to afford to give them what makes them happy,”
On the introduction of tax Khanyile said, I don’t really care about soft drinks and this won’t affect me, but I have siblings who do and this will definitely affect them. If the price of drinks goes up, parents won’t be willing to buy,” said Khanyile.
Steven Surujballie, 52, of Newcastle, admitted that he could not survive without cold drinks. “I drink a lot of sugary drinks. I really enjoy those that give me energy. I don’t think they’re bad for my health at all. It’s all about quantity, you must measure the amount you drink a day and try to limit your intake if it’s affecting your health,” he said.
Surujballie said he exercised and drank a lot of water to control his sugar levels. “It’s
definitely going to dig into the consumer’s pocket. I’m totally against it and it’s completely unfair,” he said.
Nthandazo Dlamini, 28, of Johannesburg, said health problems prevented him from having sweetened beverages. “I’m diabetic, I can’t drink anything with too much sugar,” he said.
Dlamini considers the sugar tax to be a good thing and said cold drink manufacturers needed to stop putting excessive amounts of sugar in beverages.
Anjini Khan, 69, of Chatsworth, said there wasn’t a clear approach to the sugar tax and that it might have a negative economic impact. “I don’t drink a lot of sugary things, but I think it comes down to moderation,” she said.
“The government will lose out on a lot of revenue. People will stop buying the drinks and be forced to go for water. Let’s hope they don’t start taxing bottled water, too,” she said.