Irish Dentists Speak Up Against Proposed Soft Drink Tax
The Irish Dental Association is opposing a proposed soft drink tax.
The sugar tax on soft drinks could be up to 10 per cent and the IDA has said that some of the money raised could be used to improve oral health services; however, there is concern that the tax would “target” a minority group because only 40 per cent of the population consumes soft drinks.
The IDA claimed that the tax would have a “disproportionate” affect on households with a low income.
A report compiled by the Institute of Public Health revealed that a ‘sugar tax’, which would be equivalent to 20 per cent per bottle of pop, could help to fight the increasingly prevalent problem of obesity.
Secretary of the IDA, Michael Crowe, said that food taxes were “complex” and therefore it was difficult for the association to comment on the merits of a sugar tax with relation to the aim of reducing obesity rates.
Food and Drink Industry Ireland said that a tax on sugary drinks would be “discriminatory” and furthermore there would be no health benefits; representatives from the organisation also highlighted the example ofDenmark, where a sugar tax has recently been scrapped and a tax on saturated fat has been abandoned after just one year.
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