A sugar tax on drinks would have a positive impact on health, especially for children. This is confirmed by a new study commissioned by the Ministry of Health.
“Many drinks marketed specifically for children contain enormous amounts of sugar,” Health Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) emphasized on Saturday. This significantly increases the risk of illness.
In Austria, every fourth girl and every third boy is overweight or obese.
“Positive experiences” in other countries
“A sugar tax would also make sense in Austria. This is evident from the positive experiences of other countries,” Rauch explains in a broadcast. Such a tax has been introduced by more than 70 states, regions and municipalities worldwide since 2010.
The greatest effect occurs when income is spent on healthy food or health-promoting measures, the ministry reports from the analysis by Gesundheit Österreich GmbH (GÖG).
The actual health effects cannot yet be clearly proven for all countries “due to the long-term effect”, however, it qualifies.
Online petition started
According to the Ministry of Health, beverages are responsible for the majority of sugar consumption among children and adolescents. Foodwatch responded in a press release that a ‘cracker tax’ would be suitable to reduce sugar consumption and have a positive impact on health. The organization launched an online petition on Saturday for a tax on sweet drinks.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
