Public health professors call for sugary drinks tax

Public health professors call for sugary drinks tax
Media Release - University of Auckland - 02 April 2016

A group of public health professors from New Zealand universities have signed an open letter to the Cabinet calling for stronger child obesity prevention measures from the Government.

The group of more than 70 academics is concerned by New Zealand’s high rate of childhood obesity - the fourth highest in the world.

While they applaud the government for making childhood obesity a national health priority, its action plan of 22 soft strategies that was launched last year with no extra funding, is not sufficient to change current trends, they say.

They urge the Minister to implement a significant tax on sugary drinks as a vital measure to strengthen strategies that reduce childhood obesity and dental caries.

The letter notes that every year more than 5000 children under eight years old require general anaesthetic operations to remove rotten teeth.

Multiple authoritative bodies world-wide have reviewed the available evidence on sugary drinks taxes and concluded that such taxes are likely to be one of the most cost-effective interventions available and have recommended that they should be part of a comprehensive approach to reduce childhood obesity.

The recent WHO Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity, co-chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, the Prime Minister’s Chief Science Advisor, recommended a tax on sugary drinks as its number two recommendation.

Health Minister, Jonathan Coleman, will vote to endorse the Commission’s recommendations at the World Health Assembly this month.

After the Minister says ‘yes’ to the WHO Commission’s report in front of world health ministers in Geneva, it would be opportune and show great leadership to come back and say ‘yes’ to one of its main recommendations in front of New Zealand children, adolescents and their parents, says the group of academics.

They agree that the evidence supporting sugary drinks taxes is stronger than the evidence for any of the 22 strategies in the government’s existing plan.

A sugary drinks tax would be expected to raise $30-$40 million which could be used to boost funding for obesity prevention programs.

The open letter calls for Cabinet to strengthen its plans to reduce childhood obesity and dental caries by introducing a 20 percent excise tax on sugary drinks.

They say that the evidence, health professionals, and the public strongly support this measure, and current and future generations of New Zealand children will be the beneficiaries of this legacy.

The letter is signed by the following health professors:

NAME | DISCIPLINE, DEPARTMENT, INSTITUTION
Alistair Woodward | Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Andrew Hornblow | Emeritus / public health, School of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch
Ann Richardson | Epidemiology, Wayne Francis Cancer Epidemiology Research Group,
University of Canterbury
Barry Taylor | Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
Bernhard Breier | Nutrition, School of Food and Nutrition, Massey University, Albany
Boyd Swinburn | Population nutrition, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Bruce Arroll | General practice, School Population Health, University of Auckland
Chris Bullen | Public health medicine, National Institute for Health Innovation, University of Auckland
Clare Wall | Nutrition, School of Medical Sciences, University of Auckland
Cliona Ni Mhurchu | Population nutrition, National Institute for Health Innovation, University of Auckland
David Cameron-Smith | Nutrition, Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland
David McBride | Occupational epidemiology, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
David Murdoch | Pathology, The Infection Group, University of Otago, Christchurch
Dawn Elder | Paediatrics and child health, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Dee Mangin | General practice, Department of General Practice, University of Otago, Christchurch
Diana Lennon | Paediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Auckland
Diana Sarfati | Cancer epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Don Schwass | Preventive and restorative dentistry, School of Dentistry, University of Otago, Dunedin
Doug Sellman | Psychiatry & Addiction Medicine, Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch
Elaine Rush | Nutrition, School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology
Faafetai Sopoaga | Pacific health, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
George Thomson | Tobacco control, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Gillian Abel | Public health, Department of Population Health, University of Otago, Christchurch
Harvey White | Cardiology, School of Medicine, University of Auckland
Jane Coad | Nutrition, Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology, Massey University, Palmerston North
Janet Hoek | Marketing, Department of Marketing, University of Otago, Dunedin
Jennie Connor | Public health medicine, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
Jeremy Krebs | Diabetes and endocrinology, Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre, University of Otago, Wellington
Jeroen Douwes | Public health medicine, Centre for Public Health Research, Massey University, Wellington
Jim Mann | Nutrition and diabetes, Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin
Jonathan Broadbent | Preventive and restorative dentistry, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, University of Otago, Dunedin
John Broughton | Dentistry, Department of Oral Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin
Les Toop | General practice, Department of General Practice, University of Otago, Dunedin
Louise Signal | Nutrition, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Luts Beckert | Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch
Mark Elwood | Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Marlena Kruger | Nutrition, School of Food and Nutrition, Massey University, Palmerston North
Mauro Farella | Orthodontics, Department of Oral Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin
Michael Baker | Public health medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Michael Keall | Public health, Department of Public health, University of Otago, Wellington
Murray Skeaff | Nutrition, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin
Murray Thomson | Public health dentistry, Sir John Walsh Research Institute, University of Otago, Dunedin
Ngaire Kerse | General practice, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Nick Wilson | Public health medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Nicholas Chandler | Endodontics, Department of Oral Rehabilitation, University of Otago, Dunedin
Papaarangi Reid | Maori health, Department of Maori Health, University of Auckland
Patricia Priest | Epidemiology and public health, School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
Paul Brunton | Restorative dentistry, Department of Oral Rehabilitation University of Otago, Dunedin
Peter Crampton | Public health medicine, Division of Health Sciences, University of Otago, Dunedin
Peter Davis | Health sociology, COMPASS Research Centre, University of Auckland
Philip Gendall | Emeritus / public health, Marketing, Department of Marketing, University of Otago, Dunedin
Philippa Howden-Chapman | Public health, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Rachael Taylor | Medicine, Edgar Diabetes and Obesity Research Centre, University of Otago, Dunedin
Richard Edwards | Public health medicine, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Robert Beaglehole | Emeritus / epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Robert Doughty | Preventive Cardiology, School of Medicine, University of Auckland
Robert Scragg | Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Robin Gauld | Health policy and systems, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
Robert McGee | Health promotion, Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin
Rod Jackson | Epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Roger Hughes | Public health nutrition, School of Public Health, Massey University, Wellington
Ruth Bonita | Emeritus / epidemiology, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Rozanne Kruger | Dietetics and nutrition, School of Food and Nutrition, Massey University, Albany
Sally Casswell | Public health, SHORE and Whariki Research Centre, Massey University, Auckland
Shanthi Ameratunga | Public health medicine, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Sheila Skeaff | Nutrition, Department of Human Nutrition, University of Otago, Dunedin
Simon Hales | Environmental epidemiology, Department of public health, University of Otago, Wellington
Stephen Chambers | Pathology, Department of Pathology, University of Otago, Christchurch
Sue Pullon | General practice, Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington
Susan Morton | Epidemiology, Centre for Longitudinal Research, University of Auckland
Susan Wells | Public health medicine, School of Population Health, University of Auckland
Tim Cundy | Diabetes, School of Medicine, University of Auckland
Tony Blakely | Epidemiology, Department of Public Health, University of Otago, Wellington
Wayne Cutfield | Paediatrics, Liggins Institute, University of Auckland

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