Sugary drinks are the highest contributor to sugar consumption in the average Australian’s diet, this is highest among 18-29 year olds.
One way we can address this is to put a tax the companies that make sugary drinks. Sugary drinks companies can then either reduce the amount of sugar in their drinks to avoid or minimise the tax, or if they choose not to, the revenue can be used to fund practical things that make life healthier and cheaper for families.
Sugary drinks taxes are now common around the world, in place in more than 100 countries. Research in many countries shows reduced consumption following introduction, and also shows they can encourage manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in their drinks.
Read more about the case for a health levy on sugar sweetened beverages in Australia.
More than 100 countries across the globe have implemented a tax on sugary drinks. Read about the effects these taxes have had on consumption and reformulation on the Obesity Evidence Hub.
The design of a tax sugary drinks companies would need to consider, the type of tax, its target, the tax rate and how to use the funds raised. Public health organisations advocate for revenue from a tax to fund practical things that make life healthier and cheaper for families, and for a tax that is high enough to act as an inceptive for manufacuers to reforumlate their products. Read more on how should an Australian tax on sugar sweetened beverages be designed?.