Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar.2022

 

Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar.

Do you agree or disagree?

Certain concerned citizens believe that prices should be raised to counter the high sugar content in various food and drink products. In my opinion, this solution may have a marginal impact but other reforms would engender greater progress.

Supporters of this policy argue that it has been effective in the past. The best known corollary would be the high price of tobacco products in many nations. Countries where prices are low, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, and India, have considerably higher rates of smokers compared to nations that have instituted heavy taxes. Similarly, taxation has had limited effectiveness concerning food products in European nations where sugary and fatty foods are more expensive and there has been a concomitant marginal decline in consumption. However, the more striking realization from attempts to tax luxuries is that individuals are often willing to pay to satisfy their addictions and would rather sacrifice in other areas.

Therefore, superior solutions involve more holistic government action. This can be illustrated through policies in Japan. From a young age, children are fed healthy meals at school as well as at home, and the government has encouraged health awareness through a variety of programs and initiatives aimed at various demographics. The result is that sugary drinks and products have a place in society that is less prominent than in nations such as the United States where the culture centers on fast food, soda, and packaged meals. A more thoughtful approach should not be discounted simply because of the challenges posed by enacting and evaluating small steps that are aligned and enforced consistently over a period of years.

In conclusion, the immediate and largely ineffective fix offered by raising prices is not advisable compared with more long-term measures. Governments must therefore take a long view and communicate this clearly to the general citizenry.