Australia’s Health Minister has stated that the government has no plan of introducing a sugar tax, despite a recent poll showing strong public support for such a measure.
Speaking on Friday, Health Minister Mark Butler acknowledged that obesity is one of the major public health issues facing the country. However, he emphasized that the government’s approach would prioritize education over taxation.
“Obesity is really one of the big public health challenges we face today and it’s going to grow into the future. We’ve got a range of measures under consideration there,” Butler said in an interview with Seven Network. “We’re focused more on educating shoppers with good front-of-pack labelling about the things they’re thinking about buying at the supermarket. There is no plan in our government for a sugar tax. We’re instead focusing on education and also working with food manufacturers to reduce the amount of sugar that they put into their products.”
For years, health organisations have been urging the Australian government to implement a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages as a way to address the country’s growing obesity crisis.
A recent survey by the Public Health Association of Australia (PHAA), released on Wednesday, found that 56% of Australians support a tax on sugary beverages. Additionally, 83% favor clear labelling of added sugar content, and 73% support banning advertisements for sugary drinks targeted at children.
