Dentists Call for Swift Action Following Hot Drinks Report

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The Faculty of General Dental Practice has called for swift action to be taken following the publication of research carried out by Action on Sugar. The organisation believes that the government must act now to reduce sugar consumption after research revealed that some of the nation’s most popular drinks have alarmingly high sugar content.

Action on Sugar, a charity that campaigns for healthy eating, recently carried out research to determine the sugar content of hot drinks available from high street cafes and coffee chains. Of the 131 drinks they analysed, around 30 percent contained the same amount of sugar or more than a can of fizzy drink. Shockingly, one drink from Starbucks contained 25 teaspoons of sugar per serving, which is more than double the recommended daily intake for an adult.

FGDP chairman Dr Mick Horton said that the report is further evidence for the need to take action to reduce the amount of sugar people consume in the UK. Excessive sugar consumption is known to increase the risk of tooth decay as well as contributing to elevated risks of type 2 diabetes and obesity, both of which have become increasingly prevalent in the UK in the last decade.

Dr Horton suggested that people are aware of the high sugar content of fizzy drinks, but hot drinks may be a less obvious danger. When it is considered that some people add sugar to a hot drink, it is increasingly apparent that more needs to be done to make people aware of the nutritional content of the products they buy.

The FGDP is one of many organisations to support a sugar tax, initially to be applied to fizzy drinks. Dr Horton has also called for more stringent restrictions on advertising and better educational programmes.

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