Many governments are using tax to promote healthier lifestyles. High consumption of sugar is linked to common diseases, such as heart disease, cancer en Type 2 Diabetes. A recent study reflected that South Africa is the 2nd highest ranking regards to deaths attributed to sugar.
Examples of countries where sugar tax was implemented:
- Mexico – Soft drink tax in 2013
- Norway – Excise tax on refined sugar products
The Mexican government has had positive results, although it is still early in the process. The purchase of soda and similar taxed drinks has dropped by 10% and the bottled water purchases had increased by 13%.
Evidence shows that the implementation of sin taxes has not resulted in people to stop smoking, but the sugar taxation in other countries has shown good results and could have the same effect in South Africa.