Dietitians of Canada want tax on sugary drinks

Dietitians of Canada are calling for a national tax on sugar-sweetened beverages due to their contributions to obesity and a number of chronic diseases.

The organization said the tax on sugary drinks should be at least 10 to 20 per cent.

Sugar-sweetened beverages make a substantial contribution to the total sugar intake of Canadians, especially for adolescents, with seven to eight per cent of their total energy intake being from sugar-sweetened beverages.

About 15 per cent of Canadians’ total daily caloric intake comes from free sugars, which includes all added sugars as well as sugars naturally occurring in honey, syrups and fruit juice. This exceeds the World Health Organization's recommended limit of 10 per cent of daily energy intake.

A single can of sugar-sweetened soda can contain up to 40 grams, or 10 teaspoons of sugar, about 80 per cent of the World Health Organization's recommended limit for the average adult (based on a 2000 kcal diet).

Sugar-sweetened beverages include any beverage to which sugars have been added including soft drinks, fruit drinks and energy drinks.

“Seeing higher shelf-prices on these drinks, which is what happens with an excise tax, will be a bigger deterrent for consumers than a sales tax added at the cash register,” said Kate Comeau, a dietitian and spokesperson for Dietitians of Canada, in a press release.

Economic modelling and the results reported to date on the taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages in Mexico indicate that a tax of 10 to 20 per cent leads to a decline in purchases. Public support for taxation increases when the revenue generated is used to fund public health programs.

“For the greatest impact, we recommend that taxation measures be combined with other policy interventions such as increasing access to healthy foods while decreasing access to unhealthy foods in schools, daycares and recreation facilities,” said Comeau.

“We also call for restrictions on the marketing of foods and beverages to children and funding to support effective, long term educational initiatives.”