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Sugar tax may prevent millions of dental procedures, study suggests (www.abc.net.au)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/australia@aussie.zone
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Health experts have thrown their support behind the proposal, which aligns with long-standing recommendations from the World Health Organization.

Researchers suggest money generated from the proposed tax could be used to strengthen oral health services, improving access and cutting costs at the dentist.

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[–] [S] 10 points 2 months ago (14 children)

The revenue from the tax could go precisely to the services you mention.

Also less sugar would help with a lot of other health issues like diabetes, obesity etc.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 months ago (4 children)

    I don't have an issue with the prices going up on soft drinks, but it would achieve very little unless it was (as you suggest) used to fund medicare dental.

    The government cannot be trusted though, if they really were genuine, dental medicare could easily be funded, there are currently another few very, very obvious places taxpayer money is going to, where it shouldn't be.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    They would not have a leg to stand on if they put up the soft drink tax and then not implement better dental care as the medical/dental profession and the rest of us are seeking, but I understand where you're coming from.

    Worse case scenario: the govt doesn't do anything to improve access to dental care, there would still be positive health outcomes. Overseas they've found that putting up the price has reduced consumption of these drinks which in turn has reduced some obesity and dental caries, particualarly in the young.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    The price of cigarettes increased dramatically decades ago, to a much higher price point than soft drinks ever will. That definitely stopped/helped some people from smoking, but many others continued, and many more have taken it up since.

    If the government were serious, advertising these drinks would be banned as a 1st step. The 2nd step would be banning the drinks themselves, which would have to flow onto other items that fit in the same category.

    The government is, as per usual, completely full of sh*t though.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 2 months ago (1 child)

    I agree with you. It's just capitalism is a beast. No govt would dare, not even a more progressive mob like the Greens if they were in power.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 months ago

    The Australian government used to do some positive things, a long time ago.

    It would not doubt be a slow process to help change the way Australians think, especially given lobbying, and dodgy media. The people themselves are mainly against decent government these days, as illogical as that is.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    There is honestly no downside to less sugar.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    unless that means more artificial sweeteners

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 child)

    They're pretty dodgy too. Our palates have been conditioned by the processed food and drink industries to seek overly sweet foods and drinks (let alone all the other chemicals they put into what goes into our mouths). All of these make the so-called food and drinks addictive which leads to exactly where they want us to be.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    Substituting Sucrose for chemical and “natural” alternatives is no better for your health. Your brain still triggers insulin production, but with fewer carbohydrates, you are more likely to suffer health issues.

    Social change where hyper-sweetened foods are rejected in favour of more subtle flavours would be much more beneficial.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago

    Illinois tried this a few years back to help shore up budget shortfalls. Number one, it didn't bring in very much revenue. Number two, literally everyone hated it because it is a tax on poor people.

    It was killed, I believe in less than a year.

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