Higher tax on sweetened beverages expected to reduce public health woes

By The Nation

 

 

The government expects its decision to levy higher taxes on sugary drinks from next month will help improve the health of Thai people.

 

The Department of Health said it expects the health of Thais to improve after the government move to raise tax on sugary beverages while also launching campaigns to educate people to reduce consumption of foods and beverages that are extremely sweet.

 

 

Department of Health director-general Panphimon Wipulakorn revealed that the number of Thais getting addicted to sweetened beverages was increasing continuously, forcing many sectors to find ways to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks.

 

The government decided to hike taxes on beverages with high sugar content in September 2017 and another hike takes effect on October 1 this year. She said there could be more hikes if manufacturers fail to reduce sugar content in beverages.

 

She said the main objectives of collecting higher taxes on sugar-based beverages were: to motivate producers and importers of beverages to adjust the production formula or to make healthy alternative products with an appropriate amount of sugar at 6 grams per 100 millilitres of beverage; to increase government revenue; to reduce consumption of sugary beverages; and, to reduce chronic non-communicable diseases and dental problems of Thai people.

 

According to a national survey of oral health conditions by the Bureau of Dental Public Health, the growing trend of health problems, especially the problem of overweight and obesity and chronic non-communicable diseases including dental problems, coincides with the increasing popularity of sugar-based beverages.

 

In 2014, some 37.5 per cent of Thais aged above 15 were overweight and suffered from obesity.

 

The Department of Health is also drafting a law to remove sugar from baby food products to prevent children getting addicted to sweet foods.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30376854

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-09-29

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Pm2.5 is 133 in kanchanaburi this morning. Thai government dont care about the health of people clearly. They just want more stupid tanks, submarines and helicopter's. 

I should add that if you buy and consume fattening things its your own fault. How much help does the government really assist with that calls for a tax increase?

Its all bs...

A fine ideal which has the side benefit of increasing the tax base. Not sure it will be the unbridled success the heath bureaucrats hope, smoking has not gone away with this tactic in any country I can think of. Is the next step to blur out sugary drinks on TV and movies?

 

If they want to increase the activity of people to reduce obesity they could try new fat taxes on motor vehicles and fuel, because if people walk rather than use a bike or a car they are less likely to become obese. They will also think twice before going down the street (soi) for some drinks and sugary snacks.

 

All this good work will all come undone when, as the PM predicts, Thailand becomes a country of high earners and they can all afford these punitive taxes.

Sugar intake is a real problem in this country for sure. But the choices for unsweetened or sugar free drinks here are quite limited. I think you need to have those alternatives before you are going to see change.

Doesn't effect me. I only drink water, black coffee or tea with nothing added. And even with that, weight loss is difficult for me.

2 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Higher tax on sweetened beverages expected to reduce public health woes

That seems a very optimistic outcome. The consequences of the higher tax might be:

1. Prices will go up and sales might go down and health woes might reduce. Or maybe sales won't go down and the sugar addiction will continue.

2. If the tax seriously impacts on sales then the rich beverage producers will start to scream. Likewise retailers of sugary drinks.

3. The tax on sugary drinks might lower the sugar content which in turn might decrease demand which in turn might lower the direct sales of sugar causing the sugar industry to scream, along with the cane growers.

4. The government might have to introduce subsidies to the sugar industry.

5. The government might have to appease the powerful beverage industry and remove the new tax on sugar.

 

Whatever the outcome it will not be what the government predicts or hopes for.

Murphy's Law on Thai Government policy will see to that.

                          

 

Edited September 28, 20196 yr by Cadbury

Reading stuff like this confirms that the government here really does think there population cant think. 

Overly sugary drinks and food stuff have become, in the name of free commerce, out of control, where profit was put above all and the government was left to pick up the health bills, in in my opinion, if enough people will consume far lees of them, then it's worth it...

one step forward... 20 steps behind.  a grid that will survive for at least a few days each time we traverse say 40 degrees and above.... is what should be in the pipeline now.  all other health issues will look rather silly.

I hope remember this correctly.

Didn't a manufacturer of Japanese type very sugary tea drinks (avoiding naming them directly), say that they would absorb the cost of the tax increase by themselves?

That won't help anyone to stop drinking it. I wonder if Coke will increase its prices too, or absorb the tax?

 

This sugar tax is just a copy cat tax,copied from western countries who have been doing the sugar tax thing for a few years now....Same as the smoking tax and banning plastic bags and and and.....Thailand did not think this tax up not at all.....

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Sugar intake is a real problem in this country for sure. But the choices for unsweetened or sugar free drinks here are quite limited. I think you need to have those alternatives before you are going to see change.

Doesn't effect me. I only drink water, black coffee or tea with nothing added. And even with that, weight loss is difficult for me.

I agree and without any promotion of sugar free alternatives this seems rather like nothing more than tax revenue generator. As there are so few alternatives to drinks with sugar I don't agree with unamazedloso, alternatives like diet drinks would be a bit help.

4 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

Pm2.5 is 133 in kanchanaburi this morning. Thai government dont care about the health of people clearly. They just want more stupid tanks, submarines and helicopter's. 

I should add that if you buy and consume fattening things its your own fault. How much help does the government really assist with that calls for a tax increase?

Its all bs...

A lot of problem is lack of education about many things including food, sugars etc. Even the younger chefs coming through have sweeter tastes and make so food much too sweet to eat.

What the government should be saying is use alternatives to sugar!!, but, then, where is sugar grown??? mmmm.

Sugar industry unlikely to be too concerned as many 'sweeteners' are also produced by them; if indirectly. A friend in UK has had a weight problem for many years (obese and diabetic) consumed a two litre bottle of 'coke' every day. Was persuaded to drink 'diet' or 'zero' alternative (with sweeteners to replace the sugar) and put on weight!

Mr. Doughnut next................?

 

LOS loves sugar and salt, so soda and chip manufacturers are doing very nicely. But, LOS basic food is laced with the same, sugar and salt..

An off topic post has been removed. 

11 minutes ago, transam said:

Mr. Doughnut next................?

 

LOS loves sugar and salt, so soda and chip manufacturers are doing very nicely. But, LOS basic food is laced with the same, sugar and salt..

Don't forget the ubiquitous MSG 

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

Don't forget the ubiquitous MSG 

The twin carb one.......????

No doubt the decision was made to combat health issues not based on popularity of sweet drinks ????

 

Just like tax on tobacco and alcohol, it’s for the benefit of the people not for the tax collectors .

 

 

The people won't  stop buying the drinks,they will just be poorer.the real way is put a limit on how much sugar they contain.

so go after the manufacturers where the problem stems from.

Does this mean I can go to a party in Thaiand at 9am and not have the bottles of Coke, Fanta and Sprite on the table as the only drink options?

 

Don't think so.

4 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

Sugar intake is a real problem in this country for sure. But the choices for unsweetened or sugar free drinks here are quite limited. I think you need to have those alternatives before you are going to see change.

Doesn't effect me. I only drink water, black coffee or tea with nothing added. And even with that, weight loss is difficult for me.

In an article I read a while back on the topic of obesity in the Asian region, 3 in 1 coffee sachets were mentioned as a major contributory factor, especially in Malaysia apparently.

 

I was in Egypt recently, a country which also has this problem and I noted that Nestle produce 2 in 1 sachets, coffee and creamer only. I've never seen these on the selves here.

 

I weaned myself off coffee with sugar quite some time ago and now brew my own.

 

Time for Nestle (and others) to wake up and smell the coffee. (pun intended)

Edited September 29, 20196 yr by Moonlover

Let's go back a few decades.....I am not seeing the unending stream of fat people and I am not seeing KFC, McDonald's and all the other fast food outlets.  Maybe there is a link between the two!!!  Sure there has been Thai junk food and sweets, you can see that at any market any day of the week.  The difference is in the marketing.  And maybe how much disposable income people have these days.  Food for thought.

Pure revenue raising, another tax won't stop people drinking sugar loaded drinks just raise money.

Sugar is bad for peoples health, also if not consumed through sweetened beverages.  And what about all the sweet coffee, tea and other drinks, that are not being produced in factories, but on the spot, where it is being sold.  And what about all the various food items containing sugar?  Why are they not also being taxed?

Putting a tax on sugar in general, rather that only sweetened beverages, would be the only right way to go!

6 hours ago, rooster59 said:

while also launching campaigns to educate people to reduce consumption of foods and beverages that are extremely sweet

And show them how to cook without lumping sugar into everything they cook.

Worked in Australia for smoking. Hopefully can work here for sugary drinks. Terrible to see children with black rotten teeth.

2 minutes ago, Grumpy John said:

Let's go back a few decades.....I am not seeing the unending stream of fat people and I am not seeing KFC, McDonald's and all the other fast food outlets.  Maybe there is a link between the two!!!  Sure there has been Thai junk food and sweets, you can see that at any market any day of the week.  The difference is in the marketing.  And maybe how much disposable income people have these days.  Food for thought.

I think that there can be no doubt that there is a link between western fast foods and fatness. It really become apparent to me when I note that I rarely see fat people in the villages and countryside around where I live, but becomes much more prevalent when I go into town, where they have ready access.

 

This is not confined to Thailand either, most countries in the region are showing this same tendency. I recall when I lived in China, Pizza Hut, Big Macs and the like were always doing a roaring trade and with the same results as here.

Why do governments insist on slapping new taxes on unhealthy stuff when the world - so we are told - is already overpopulated?

 

Leave us to make our own choices and let natural selection take its course. The result could be a smaller, smarter human population.

Just like a nanny state back home you all run away from ????

 

Without any benefits of nanny state "benefits".

 

Enjoy your Thailand ????????

10 minutes ago, crickets said:

Worked in Australia for smoking. Hopefully can work here for sugary drinks. Terrible to see children with black rotten teeth.

You're a dentist...?