A public policy process involves the formation, implementation, and the government usually evaluates the policy and the policy process in an attempt to improve public health. The policy on taxing sugar-sweetened beverages can be viewed as a step towards the improvement of the general health of the population since sugar-sweetened beverages have been associated with non-communicable diseases such as childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, dental caries, and cardiovascular diseases. Overweight and obesity are two major risk factors for non-communicable diseases.
The argument for the policy
Evidence exists that suggests that sugar-sweetened drinks increase the risk of obesity, and therefore taxing such drinks will reduce their consumption leading to a reduced prevalence of obesity as well as other non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are estimated to claim more than 39 million lives every year, which equates to more than 70% of the total annual deaths. Most of these people are usually at below 70 years. An unhealthy diet is one of the most significant risk factors associated with NCDs. Sugar-sweetened drinks and sodas contain free sugars which are significant contributors to diet energy density (Tamir, Cohen-Yogev, Furman-Assaf, & Endevelt, 2018).
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Increased consumption of free sugars lowers a diet’s nutrient quality while significantly increasing energy which results in an unhealthy weight gain and thereby increasing the risk of obesity. Therefore, there is the existence of substantial evidence that increased consumption of high-calorie food increases the risk of acquiring severe health conditions. Taxation of sugar-sweetened drinks will result in increased cost of these products and thereby reduced consumption and hence will consequently lead to a reduction in the prevalence of NCDs. In addition to the health benefits associated with this policy, there also would be increased revenue. Moreover, the producers of these products would adapt to the production of more healthy substances, hence promoting public health (Tamir et al., 2018).
Opponents Argument
Through taxation of sugar-sweetened beverages, there would be a loss of numerous jobs due to a shift from sugary to no-sugary shrinks. Moreover, the low- and middle-income persons will be inconvenienced since taxation will result in increased cost of these drinks which will strain their abilities. It is also unfair to these people because a higher percentage of the tax income will be collected from them. Besides, other more effective policies can be implemented to ensure a reduction in the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks. For instance, advertisement bans would be more effective. Other than imposing tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, a combination of different policies can adequately reduce their consumption.
Getting a Buy-in For the Policy
To seek acceptance of the proposed policy on the taxation of sugar-sweetened drinks the Longest’s Policy Cycle Model would be utilized (Jou, Niederdeppe, Barry, & Gollust, 2014). It would involve the formulation of a policy brief that has a clear health policy question and its presentation to the policymakers. The policy brief would address different evidence-based arguments that clearly illustrate the health risks associated with the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks. The proposed policy would also involve different stakeholders who support the taxation of these drinks. Engaging different stakeholders in the policy brief formulation would increase the chances of its acceptance by the policymakers.
Stakeholder Groups
The stakeholders that would be involved in the policy would be mainly health groups because most health groups share a common goal, which is the promotion of public health (Jou et al., 2014). The stakeholder groups that would be involved are health charities, the Ministry of Health and specialist health charities. These groups would support be a critical pillar for the policy because they possess the resources knowledge and skills that can lead to a successful implementation of the policy.
References
Jou, J., Niederdeppe, J., Barry, C. L., & Gollust, S. E. (2014). Strategic Messaging to Promote Taxation of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages: Lessons From Recent Political Campaigns. American Journal of Public Health , 104 (5), 847-853. doi:10.2105/ajph.2013.301679
Tamir, O., Cohen-Yogev, T., Furman-Assaf, S., & Endevelt, R. (2018). Taxation of sugar sweetened beverages and unhealthy foods: a qualitative study of key opinion leaders’ views. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research , 7 (1). doi:10.1186/s13584-018-0240-1
