Sugar tax impact on oral health and the need to go further upstream

This paper summarises the impact on general and oral health of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy (sugar tax) introduced by the UK Government in 2018.

Empirical research shows a significant reduction in hospital admissions for carious tooth extractions in children in all age groups, with the greatest reductions in younger children. Similar trends were observed in relation to childhood obesity, and in adults, for Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity-related cancer.

Fiscal policies, such as sugar tax, influence consumer behaviour through price elasticity, with similar effects observed in other public health interventions (eg minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Scotland). The opposition of the sugar industry to taxation measures mirrors tactics used in the past by the tobacco industry, including shifting blame to alternative causes of disease and disseminating misleading information.

While ‘sin taxes' can be considered regressive in relation to income, it must be recognised that the most disadvantaged populations are also the most affected by the consequences of these commodities. Broader social and economic policies are needed to address the underlying inequalities at population level.