Most sweet on sugar curbs

THREE out of four adults support government efforts to enforce policies discouraging people from consuming sugary drinks and junk food, a survey conducted in July shows.

It found that public backing for government interventions to curb the national obesity epidemic had increased significantly.

This shift is believed to have happened during Parliament’s deliberations on the tax on sugary beverages, proposed by the Treasury in the 2017/18 national budget.

The sugary drinks tax now has the support of seven out of 10 people, if the revenue collected is invested in programmes to benefit the public.

A total of 58% of survey participants approved the new tax unconditionally, with only 29% of them opposing it and the remaining respondents being neutral.

Support for the tax has grown in recent months. A comparable survey last October found 42% of respondents favoured a sugary drinks tax.

“The debate on the proposed tax on sugary drinks has raised public awareness of the sheer sugar-load that these drinks carry and their harmful impact on health,” said Tracey Malawana, co-ordinator of the Healthy Living Alliance, a network of health organisations that commissioned the opinion survey.

“Most people would welcome government using its muscle in a protective way to reduce sales of sugary drinks.”

The survey also found about six out of 10 people were “very concerned” or “extremely concerned” about the harm caused by sugary drinks to their health and the health of their children. – Health-e News