AMA and ADA make joint call for a sugar tax

For Dental Health Week this week, the AMA joined forces with the Australian Dental Association (ADA) to renew calls for a tax on sugary drinks.

The AMA and ADA argue a tax on sugar sweetened beverages would send a strong signal that these products are unhealthy.

Despite the many proven links to poor health outcomes, research shows Australians drink at least 2.4 billion litres of sugary drinks every year — enough to fill 960 Olympic sized swimming pools.

AMA President Professor Steve Robson said this alarming figured showed why Australia needed a tax on these drinks, which have no nutritional benefit.

“Sugary drinks are making Australians sick, with a worrying number of children and adults alike suffering from chronic diseases,” Professor Robson said.

ADA Federal President Dr Stephen Liew said tooth decay was the most prevalent chronic disease in Australia, costing a whopping $4.5 billion dollars in 2019.

 “Sugary drinks are a leading contributor to tooth decay through its acidity and source of nutrition to bacteria in the mouth. This acidity can lead to irreversible loss of tooth structure contributing to pain, loss of function, aesthetic changes, and bad breath,“ Dr Liew said.

AMA research shows a tax on selected sugary drinks would reduce sugar consumption from soft drinks by 12 to 18 per cent. It would also raise $749 to $814 million in revenue each year, which could be invested into preventative health initiatives.

But Professor Robson also said a broad range of measures would be required to address social and cultural inequities that prevent many Australians from receiving regular dental care.

The AMA has long called for a sugar tax through the #SicklySweet campaign and Rethink Sugary Drink alliance which calls for disincentives for people buying sugary drinks and for the companies that make them.