On Tuesday (4 December), the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) proposed new measures to reduce sugar intake from pre-packaged, sugar-sweetened beverages, as part of Singapore’s War on Diabetes.
From 4 December 2018 to 25 January 2019, MOH and HPB will be conducting a public consultation to seek feedback on four proposed measures:
- A nationwide ban on the sale of higher-sugar, pre-packaged beverages,
- A tax on manufacturers and importers of such beverages,
- Extended advertising regulations for these beverages beyond the current voluntary guidelines, and
- Mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labels to help consumers identify healthier and less healthy options.
Dean, Professor Teo Yik Ying, said that the proposed measures are not mutually exclusive and are meant to complement each other. He added that such taxes are aimed not at consumers, but to incentivise the industry to reduce the sugar content to avoid the tax.
“Any reduction in sugar intake will directly translate to health benefits. The key to getting people to take less sugar is education. If people want healthier versions, manufacturers will provide them,” added Prof Teo.
Domain Leader (Epidemiology), Professor Rob van Dam, said the high sugar content in drinks adds calories but does not make people feel sated, which makes it worse than sugar in food.
“People should be told the rationale of these measures in terms of the importance for health and providing clear information on the amount of sugar in available beverages. Restricting advertisements of high-sugar drinks is important as these tend to appeal to children who are less able to distinguish between factual information and advertisements,” added Prof van Dam.
Media coverage:
- Canned cola, cendol or bubble tea affected or not? Singapore’s proposed tax on sweet drinks explained, TODAY, 4 December 2018
- How other countries are tackling high sugar consumption, The Straits Times, 4 December 2018
- MOH wants public consultation on whether Singapore should ban or tax high-sugar drinks, The Straits Times, 4 December 2018
- Singapore considering tax, ban on high-sugar drinks, The Straits Times, 5 December 2018
- High-sugar drinks taxed in many countries, The Straits Times, 5 December 2018
- 学者医生支持分级糖税制度 建议调高含糖饮料价格, Lianhe Wanbao, 5 December 2018
- 政府提4可能措施抗糖，邀国人提看法 – 本报百人调查7成不支持糖税 , Lianhe Wanbao, 5 December 2018