Canadian Diabetes Association Proposes a Tax on Sugary Drinks

Food & Nutrition | sugar, Type 2 Diabetes

Author: Dr. Tom Elliott

This federal election, the Canadian Diabetes Association (CDA) is recommending a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to fight type 2 diabetes and improve the health of Canadians. – See the CDA recommendation here.

There is a strong association between the consumption of SSBs and the development of Type 2 diabetes: for every regular-sized can of sugar-sweetened pop consumed per day the risk of diabetes rises approximately 20%. (https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/5853979)

“Whether governments should tax such drinks is a big question,” says BC Diabetes Medical Director, Dr. Tom Elliott. “As a strong advocate of free will I am in general opposed to government regulation; on the other hand I am in favour of public health interventions that save lives such as vaccination of children, the wearing of seat-belts and taxes on tobacco and alcohol.  On balance I see the taxing sweet drinks in a move in the right direction.  It is somewhere to start. Obesity and deconditioning are the two most treatable risk factors for Type 2 diabetes.   Much more important therefore that the moderation in the consumption of sugary drinks is general restriction of caloric intake and or increase in exercise (that burns calories) such that obesity can be avoided, or treated.”