Australia needs a sugar tax on soft drinks to help end the child obesity crisis

The issue

Hey everyone. I'm Sarah Wilson from I Quit Sugar – and I'm asking for your help to get Australia tackling the urgent child obesity crisis by introducing a sugar tax.

It's devastating that more than 1 in 4 of our kids are now overweight or obese. Our kids' health and education are suffering. Tooth decay, type 2 diabetes and impaired brain function are all caused by excessive sugar in drinks.

Companies adding 15 teaspoons of sugar in a small soft drink is ridiculous. And dangerous. I know so many parents are trying to reduce sugar in their family's diets – but until soft drink companies are forced to act too, we're not going to fix the child obesity crisis. The funds raised from the tax can help subsidise healthier options and food education in schools.

I quit sugar in January 2011 - initially as an experiment. My doctors advised it'd help my autoimmune disease. But it had such an impact on my energy, wellness and concentration, I just kept going. Imagine if those benefits were transferred to our kids. Misbehaviour would decrease. Grades would soar.

Australia is lagging the world in acting on child obesity. The UK has just introduced a sugary drinks tax (France, Mexico, Denmark have too).

I need your help today to sign & share this petition - on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - let's get it out there and make a difference! Tell Scott Morrison it's time for a sugar tax on soft drinks!

avatar of the starter
Sarah WilsonPetition starter
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This petition had 20,734 supporters

The issue

Hey everyone. I'm Sarah Wilson from I Quit Sugar – and I'm asking for your help to get Australia tackling the urgent child obesity crisis by introducing a sugar tax.

It's devastating that more than 1 in 4 of our kids are now overweight or obese. Our kids' health and education are suffering. Tooth decay, type 2 diabetes and impaired brain function are all caused by excessive sugar in drinks.

Companies adding 15 teaspoons of sugar in a small soft drink is ridiculous. And dangerous. I know so many parents are trying to reduce sugar in their family's diets – but until soft drink companies are forced to act too, we're not going to fix the child obesity crisis. The funds raised from the tax can help subsidise healthier options and food education in schools.

I quit sugar in January 2011 - initially as an experiment. My doctors advised it'd help my autoimmune disease. But it had such an impact on my energy, wellness and concentration, I just kept going. Imagine if those benefits were transferred to our kids. Misbehaviour would decrease. Grades would soar.

Australia is lagging the world in acting on child obesity. The UK has just introduced a sugary drinks tax (France, Mexico, Denmark have too).

I need your help today to sign & share this petition - on your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - let's get it out there and make a difference! Tell Scott Morrison it's time for a sugar tax on soft drinks!

avatar of the starter
Sarah WilsonPetition starter
Media enquiries

The Decision Makers

Senator Richard Di Natale
Senator Richard Di Natale
Leader of the Australian Greens
Responded
“Hello All, I’m proud to be able to tell you that today the Greens have announced a new tax on sugary sweetened beverages to help tackle Australia’s obesity epidemic. We know that the community and health experts alike have serious concerns with our nation’s consumption of sugar, particular highly sweetened drinks. The reality is that we have a major health crisis on our hands, with over a quarter of Australian adults and children overweight or obese. 30% of the added sugar kids consume comes from sugary sweetened drinks, contributing to weight gain and a risk of diabetes. Sugary sweetened beverages are a major contributor to increasing rates of childhood obesity and if this trend continues our children may be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. The Greens’ plan will introduce a 20 percent tax on sugary sweetened drinks which the evidence shows will reduce uptake by at least twelve percent, providing long term benefits by reducing chronic disease and achieving better health outcomes. Every cent of the expected $500 million per year raised by the tax on sugary sweetened drinks will be reinvested back into positive health initiatives for Australians. Over four years $2 billion could be raised by ensuring that sugary sweetened drink manufacturers contribute to the harms their product causes. This tax is part of a broader prevention strategy for obesity, including clear food labelling; restricting junk food advertising to children; and encouraging physical activity through active transport. You can find the full details about our policy on at http:///greens.org.au/sugar-tax Thanks for your commitment and interest in Australia’s health. Richard Di Natale Leader of the Australian Greens”
Scott Morrison
Scott Morrison
Federal Member for Cook

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Petition created on 29 March 2016