Too much sugar in cola and co.
Federal states want tax on soft drinks
18.06.2024, 11:23 a.m.
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To reduce the sugar content of drinks, the federal government has so far relied on a “voluntary commitment” from the industry – with moderate success. That is why nine federal states are now apparently calling for a tax on soft drinks. According to a study, this could save a lot of money.
Several federal states want to make sugary soft drinks more expensive. 9 out of 16 federal states are in favor of a so-called soft drink tax, as the “Bild” newspaper reports, citing a statement in the minutes of the Consumer Protection Ministers’ Conference. In it, the states called on the federal government to examine a “manufacturer-related tax” on such drinks.
The so-called soft drink tax is supported by Brandenburg, Bremen, Hamburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Lower Saxony, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Saxony and Thuringia. According to the paper, “despite voluntary commitments and promises from the industry in Germany, the average sugar content of soft drinks, for example, has not fallen in recent years to the extent that would be necessary for a healthy diet.”
According to a study by the Technical University of Munich and the British University of Liverpool, a sugar tax on soft drinks in Germany alone could save up to 16 billion euros within the next two decades and prevent many illnesses. “A soft drink tax in Germany would have clear positive effects,” the research team concluded in November in the specialist magazine “PLOS Medicine”. In all simulated variants, less sugar would be consumed and illnesses would be less common. “This would reduce economic costs and relieve the burden on the health system.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a special tax of at least 20 percent on sugary drinks to reduce the population’s sugar consumption and its health consequences. Many countries have already introduced tax measures to combat the consumption of sugary drinks or foods. Germany is instead relying on a voluntary commitment by the drinks industry – studies have shown that this has had moderate results so far.