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Published: Monday, 18 January 2016 06:58

Written by News Editor

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It was reported by The Times that ministers are considering a U-turn on a sugary drink tax after evidence from Mexico that a 10% tax led to a 12% drop in sales. It has the support of the profession and the chair of the Health Select Committee, but several readers have raised concerns about a possible tax in letters to the paper.

The British Society of Paediatric Dentistry has welcomed the Government’s rethink on the merits of introducing a sugar tax, as.  BSPD Spokesperson and Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, Claire Stevens said, “Decayed teeth have the potential to cause pain, infection, swelling and sleep disturbance necessitating time away from school, or work. A tax on sugary drinks alone is not the answer, but if we are serious about improving the oral health of our nation's children, then the government should consider its implementation.”

Fiona Sandom, president of the British Association of Dental Therapists, has welcomed a new report. She commented: ‘Mexico has set a precedent with its commitment to improving the health of its population and it is now imperative that the UK government looks at the findings of this significant research and considers the evidence before it.”

The British Dental Association (BDA), however, has called for clarity after government sources denied claims government was considering a sugar tax, calling  on the PM and Health Secretary to be guided by evidence.  BDA Chair Mick Armstrong said: “For a moment we thought the government had come to its senses on sugar. When facing down a crisis no responsible policy maker should take any option off the table. We never expected the PM to become a tax cheerleader, but we expected serious consideration of the facts, on marketing, education and on taxation. Tooth decay and type 2 diabetes are just two conditions placing a huge strain across the health service. Health professionals expect clarity from Ministers that evidence, and not personal prejudices, are shaping their response.”

But Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the TaxPayers’ Alliance was one of those writing to The Times saying there were several reasons why a sugar tax was a bad idea and simply won’t work. He wrote that first the tax would be regressive, hitting the poorest hardest. Second, he claimed that the evidence does not support a sugar tax: studies in the US have shown that it did little to reduce fizzy drink consumption, with people switching to other high-calorie drinks; and Denmark abolished a similar “fat tax” after 15 months because it simply didn’t work. Thirdly he said that the proportion of children overweight or obese peaked more than a decade ago and has been slowly falling since.

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