Singapore may be the first country to impose a total advertising ban on beverages that are considered high in sugar.
Earlier this month, the Ministry of Health introduced two strategies as part of the War on Diabetes. The first is a mandatory display of front-of-pack nutrition summary labels for pre-packed beverages that are high in sugar. The second is a total advertising ban on those drinks that receive the lowest label grades.
These measures aim to help consumers identify less healthy beverages and make more informed choices.
“The World Health Organization recommends no more than six teaspoons of sugar per day. However, Singaporeans on average consume around 12 teaspoons of sugar per day, or twice the recommended daily intake. Excessive sugar consumption can lead to obesity, which in turn results in high blood sugar levels and high blood pressure causing diabetes, as well as increasing the risks of certain cancers,” said Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying.
He added, “In fact, several countries, including Chile, South Korea, Sweden and UK, have already adopted similar advertising regulations for beverages with high sugar levels, but have only been applying those to traditional media channels and advertising time slots targeted at children. The proposed advertising ban in Singapore also reflects the government’s acknowledgement of the influence of social media channels besides the usual broadcast, print, outdoor advertising and online channels.”
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