“Tooth decay is one of the most common chronic diseases in Australia and worldwide and is the second most costly diet-related disease in Australia”. He added, “Consuming too much sugar is one of the main factors causing tooth decay and other oral health issues. Almost one in two Australian adults and more than two-thirds of Australian children are consuming too much free sugar”.
Dr Matthews highlighted the harmful effects of SSBs on oral health and noted that these drinks are the largest contributors of sugar in the Australian diet. He said, “Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) are the largest source of added sugars in the Australian diet. Drinking a can of soft drink each day will significantly increase the risk of tooth decay and dental erosion.”
ADA NSW has previously advocated for a Sugar Sweetened Beverages – SSB tax as part of a broader campaign to educate the public about the dangers of these drinks and to have a control in the intake of these drinks. A price hike from a 20% tax might generate an additional $400 million in government income, which could be used to support a public education program targeted at enlightening people about healthy shopping and dietary habits, particularly among children.
Dr Matthews spoke about the benefits of this new tax and its overall impact on peoples’ health. He said, “A levy would reduce consumption of SSBs and help lead to sustained reductions in the incidence of diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and some cancers, resulting in thousands of healthy life years and millions of dollars saved in healthcare costs”. Dr Matthews also noted other countries that have imposed sugar tax. He said, “ADA NSW welcomes the AMA’s proposals for a sugar tax and calls on the Federal Government to follow the example of dozens of countries across the globe and implement a sugar tax to help improve health outcomes for all Australians.”
