Taiwan Health Alliance Conducts Survey on Sugar Tax
73.8% of Respondents Support Imposing Sugar Tax
As the number of young diabetes patients caused by obesity is rapidly increasing in Taiwan, there is growing discussion about the possible introduction of a so-called "sugar tax," which would impose high taxes on foods high in sugar, such as candy.
According to Taiwanese media outlets such as United Daily News on June 30, the Taiwan Health Alliance (THA) recently announced that in an online survey of 1,113 Taiwanese citizens, 73.8% of respondents expressed support for the implementation of a sugar tax.
The sugar tax has already been introduced in countries such as the United Kingdom, Thailand, and Mexico. In the United Kingdom, following the implementation of the sugar tax, there have been reports of decreases in various metabolic disorders, chronic diseases, cancer, and childhood asthma.
According to data from Taiwan's Ministry of Health and Welfare, last year the overweight and obesity rate among adults in Taiwan reached 50.8%. The number of diabetes patients in Taiwan, which has a population of about 23 million, has surpassed 2.5 million, and is increasing by 25,000 each year. In particular, diabetes among young adults aged 20 to 39 is rising sharply.
The diabetes prevalence rate among people aged 50 to 59 was 14% between 2017 and 2020, while the prevalence rate among those aged 60 to 69 exceeded 20%.
In Taiwan, beverages with high sugar content, such as bubble tea, are very popular. A representative drink, the 700ml milk bubble tea "Zhenzhu Naicha," contains more than 60g of sugar. This far exceeds the daily sugar intake of 25g recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Media outlets have reported that the medical community believes this phenomenon is related to addiction to high-sugar beverages, which are considered national drinks.
According to the survey results, 39.9% of respondents said they drink sugar-sweetened beverages more than three times a week. In addition, 92.3% said they believe beverages containing sugar are harmful to health.
Wu Yuchin, chairman of the Taiwan Health Alliance, stated that the introduction of a sugar tax could lead to price increases for high-sugar beverages, which have been identified as major causes of obesity and diabetes, as well as preferential tax policies for sugar-free beverages.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
