[–] thinANDintelligent 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
Ireland announced in their budget that they would be introducing a sugar tax to drinks.
I'm equal parts pleased - that the reaction to that news has been positive and comments on tackling the obesity crisis - and exasperated that people are wording it as a tax on "fizzy" drinks. Nowhere in the budget does it specifically state fizzy drinks. It says drinks that have 8g or more of sugar per 100 ml. That will include fruit juices and even those coffee milkshake concoctions but people are so deluded about the content of what they consume that they don't seem to have realized that yet... I will be exceptionally disappointed if they backtrack and just make it a tax on fizzy drinks.
Granted it won't come into effect until April, but it was announced on world obesity day :D
[–] Twodivinehipsters 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
So sugar free drinks are ok since they go by sugar content? I go around saying they should tax sodas and other crap food but I like sugar free monsters (I need caffeine, not beetus), those are already stupid expensive. I am jelly of Ireland. USA desperately needs a sugar tax to help cover Medicare bills from fats.
[–] thinANDintelligent 0 points 1 point 1 point (+1|-0) ago
Apparently, yes. It has been worded as:
A proposed tax of 30c per litre on drinks with over eight grams of sugar per 100 millilitres will be introduced, along with a reduced rate of 20c per litre on drinks with between five and eight grams of sugar per 100 millilitres.
The Minister for Health has said that the estimated annual revenue to be raised from the sugar tax was €40m.
Now, I work for a beetus company and I know that in recent years many of our products have been reformulated in anticipation of this sort of tax, so it really will be things like juices that will bring in this sort of revenue. Of course some sodas fall into this category as well, I'm not suggesting they won't. Even so, a typical 330 mL can will probably only rise by about 7c each.
The Irish Heart Foundation said the introduction of a sugar tax was "a landmark day in the fight against obesity". Head of Advocacy Chris Macey said: "The introduction of a sugar sweetened drinks levy is probably the most important action Government can take to tackle Ireland's obesity crisis."
I genuinely think that people will be surprised at what prices will actually rise once this is introduced. If people are buying 5 L cartons of orange juice for their family breakfasts for a week, to see that jump in price by €1.50 overnight will force them to realise how much sugar they are consuming in liquid form. Or, they can ignore the sugar content and go for a cheaper option that will potentially contain less sugar.
You can make information as readily available to people as you like, but until that information is made relevant to them (in this case by the cost of the product) they are likely to just keep their head in the sand and remain willfully ignorant.
A lot of the conversation surrounding this tax introduction has centered on the obesity epidemic and it has been a mainly positive reception to what is essentially a price increase across the board of an entire product market. This is the most open conversation I have ever heard, on a public level, of the obesity crisis and I think that is fantastic. We should have had this conversation much earlier - what with there now being a demand for 42 inch waistbands in primary school uniforms!!.
Ireland does try to highlight the obesity crisis and encourage change, but it always seems short lived or doesn't reach those who need to change the most. Tax was the way to go. Ill happily pay more for my own beetus, I don't drink enough of it to impact on my pocket. And if this ultimately leads to benefiting the health sector, public conversation about obesity, education, awareness and reform, I'm sure I'll put up with another tax. I'm also interested in seeing if there are any drinks I will be surprised to see a price increase. Anything that I wouldn't have considered. Lots of people have commented on the fact that excise on alcohol has not been increased in this budget. Silly gooses, certain alcohols fall under this sugar tax too - people don't know what it is they are bloody ingesting...
I tried to link the article I quoted but I can't while on mobile.
[–] Mass_Eject 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
On current trends, 2.7 billion adults worldwide will suffer from overweight and obesity by 2025.
Good. Suffer.
I plan to ask many women when the baby is due.
[–] Twentyonepointthree 0 points 6 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago
I'm going to look straight down at my dick all day, just because I [am a pervert] can see it without having to suck in my gut.
[–] CosmoMcKinley 0 points 6 points 6 points (+6|-0) ago
Don't forget to say "I see you started celebrating a bit early!"
[–] [deleted] 0 points 7 points 7 points (+7|-0) ago
[–] DrunkenPieRat 0 points 3 points 3 points (+3|-0) ago
[–] Shitwherever [S] 0 points 2 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago
It's the perfect day to kick your shitlording into high gear.