World Health Organisation Has Urged All The Countries To Consider Introducing A Sugary Drink Tax

World Health Organisation has urged all the countries to consider introducing a sugary drink tax. Sugary drink tax is a tax which will be levied on the colas, lemonades and other sugary soft drinks.

As per the Reports of World Health Organisation, people consume free sugars such as fructose and glucose which is dangerous for health. Therefore a tax of 20% or more will result in a drop in sales and consumption of sugary drinks.

Reports
The reports of WHO states that nobody needs sugar in their diet and one should restrict the intake of free sugars. As higher price reduces consumption, the tax should be imposed on the sugary drinks, and fresh fruits and vegetables should be provided at subsidised rates.

Benefits of Tax
Levying of Sugary Drink Tax is said to have a lot of health benefits. Despite the health benefits, following points are worth considerable to impose sugary fat tax:

• Levying of this tax will drop in sales of the soft drinks and lemonades, and it will reduce the consumption of sugary drinks.
• Colas and lemonades are one of the reasons of rising obesity and imposing high tax will curb obesity rate.
• In a country like Colombia, there have been clashes between the drink industry and the campaigners. Though after constant clamour the drink industry succeeded in putting off the protestors demand. Levying of Sugary Drink Tax will strengthen the hand of campaigners.
• Sugar intake increases the risk of diabetes and many other diseases. Therefore with the levying of such tax, people will cut down the sugar intake, and it will save lives.
• Since people will reduce intake of sugar, people will fall less sick and it will cut down healthcare cost and will increase revenues to invest in health services.
• People, especially with low incomes who usually get addicted to consuming such drinks will also abstain themselves from consuming more drinks.
• The number of consumers will also reduce, and people who consume a lot of sugary drinks will also avoid such addictive drinks.

Worldwide
Mexico
Mexico is said to be the top most consumer of sugary drinks in the world. In fact, Mexicans drink more soda than anyone else in the World. In the Mexico’s National Survey of Health and Nutrition revealed that the leading cause of death of people in Columbia is because of Diabetes.

Obesity has engulfed the country, and every campaign seems to be futile. The sugary drink tax will brace up the campaigners to fight against drink industry.

United States
The health experts from the US have joined the campaign and have supported the initiative put forward by WHO. Barry Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina have written to the Colombian ministry of health about the dangers of sugar consumption and the effectiveness of taxation, as reported by The Guardian.