To move its You’re Sweet Enough advocacy work into policy, Lake Health and Wellbeing is gearing up to launch an educational video series on health policy change.
The four-part series will be launched in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and medical professionals to increase awareness of the importance and benefits of health policies that the Government of St. Kitts-Nevis can implement to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).
Why Health Policy?
It’s no secret that there is an increase in alarming statistics about rising obesity rates and NCDs worldwide. In response to these growing public health concerns, many countries are considering introducing health policies aimed at reducing the public’s exposure to NCD risk factors.
Popular health policies include taxes on unhealthy commodities like sugar- sweetened beverages, tobacco and alcohol. Policies around front-of-package food labeling are also championed to easily indicate to consumers which food products contain unhealthy substances like trans fats and are high in sugar, salt (sodium) and saturated fat.
These implemented measures have reduced the consumption of unhealthy products and the policy of taxation also generates revenue that can be reinvested into prevention programs for NCDs, such as physical activity initiatives or education about healthy eating habits.
A growing number of Caribbean countries are now monitoring these benefits. Countries in the region such as Bermuda, Grenada, Barbados, and Mexico are leading successful case studies of these health policies.
Roll Out of the Reel Series
By working collaboratively with health leaders and the advocacy community, Lake Health and Wellbeing hopes to address local concerns around the effectiveness of policy change and prompt government leaders to drive action toward health policy education, research, and implementation. This series is expected to complement the government’s action plan for preventing non-communicable diseases (NCD) in St. Kitts and Nevis.
The health policy series will focus on Sugar and sweetened beverage taxes and explore four key themes through 60-second reels:
An overview of health policies with a focus on sugar-sweetened beverage taxation
The reasons for the implementation of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation on St. Kitts-Nevis.
The benefits of implementing a sugar-sweetened beverage tax.
Additional policies that can prompt health/lifestyle habits such as front-of-package warning labels and a school nutrition policy
The educational reels can be viewed on Instagram and Facebook beginning March 20, 2023. New reels will be rolled out on April 3, 17, and May 1.
While SSB taxes are found to be effective at reducing purchases and consumption of SSBs and producing better public health outcomes in the long run, different counter-arguments are made in resistance to this tax-based health policy. One common argument made by industry stakeholders against SSB taxes is that they will lead to considerable job losses among businesses that produce, distribute and sell the taxed beverages; however, these claims are unfounded.
To date, peer-reviewed SSB tax evaluation studies have estimated labour market impacts in taxing jurisdictions of the United States and these studies consistently found no net negative impacts on employment and unemployment outcomes. No evidence of net job losses or job losses in industries that produce or sell SSBs has been found (UIC, 2022). Rather, SSB taxation may influence market development by sparking the growth of a healthy drink and food industry. By increasing awareness of the harms of high-sugar diets and utilizing SSB tax revenues to subsidise local fruits and vegetables, the local fruit juice market stands to benefit from expansion and sustainability. Small businesses and street vendors who sell SSBs can make and sell local unsweetened fruit juices and healthy snacks where the demand for healthier and cheaper drink alternatives increases as a result of SSB taxation.
Conclusion
Now more than ever, civil society organisations (CSOs) across the world are advocating for effective health policies, like SSB taxation, that help to improve health outcomes and cultivate healthy environments for all. SSB taxes are demonstrably effective at reducing SSB purchases and improving obesity rates in the long term. To achieve the greatest impact in NCD prevention and control, taxation ought to be coupled with other policies that help to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in diet-related health.
Interventions such as including front-of-pack warning labels, cultivating healthy school environments through nutrition education, implementing sale restrictions on sugary foods and drinks in schools and at hospitals, and providing subsidies on locally grown healthy foods are all valuable and necessary for the most equitable impact on consumer behaviour and health outcomes. To combat the threat that NCDs pose on our people, productivity and livelihoods, government, civil society, industry, individuals and communities must work together. Together we can strengthen calls to action for local government to prioritise proper health, nutrition and wellbeing by implementing health policies that lead to better health and sustainability for all.
Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxation is a common effective policy adopted by governments to deter the purchase and consumption of SSBs. In the last decade, more than 50 countries worldwide have introduced a tax on SSBs. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends SSB taxes as a best buy[1] option for governments, noting that “just as taxing tobacco helped to reduce tobacco use, taxing sugary drinks can reduce consumption of sugar” (2017). Evidence of SSB tax effectiveness is published in a World Bank 2020 report that details the results of SSB taxes in jurisdictions across the globe. Overall, trends indicate that where taxes are enforced, purchases of SSBs decline. Furthermore, the higher the tax rate the greater the impact on consumer behaviour.
In the Caribbean, Barbados, Bermuda and Dominica have implemented SSB taxes. According to the World Bank report, Barbados implemented a 10% tax on SSBs in 2015 and in the first year, average weekly sales of SSBs overall and carbonated SSBs specifically decreased by 4.3% and 3.6%, respectively. Additionally, sales of non-SSBs increased 5.2%, with bottled water increasing 7.5%. In 2022, the Barbados government decided to increase the SSB tax to 20% after researchers found that some consumers shifted to purchasing cheaper SSB options instead of reducing consumption altogether. According to the WHO, to maximise the desired impact of SSB taxation, a minimal tax rate of 20% is recommended.
In Mexico, where SSB taxes higher than 10% were introduced in 2014, data show that three years after implementation, the excise tax on SSBs helped to increase the proportion of people who do not consume SSBs. A 2020 research study found that before implementation, more than 50% of research participants were medium and high consumers of SSBs and less than 10% were non-consumers. After tax implementation, 43% of the population was categorised as medium and high consumers and the prevalence of non-consumers increased to 14% (BMJ, 2020). Notably, the reduction in SSB consumption after tax implementation also led to recorded health improvements among adolescents in Mexico. For every 10% increase in the city’s average price of an SSB, there was a significant 1.3% absolute decrease in both overweight or obesity prevalence for girls within two years of the SSB price change (JAMA Pediatrics, 2021).
SSB taxation is a win-win solution. Evidence shows that taxation not only helps to reduce consumption which contributes to improved health over time, but it also generates additional government revenue which can be used to fund other necessary health promotion programmes. In Bermuda, SSB tax revenue was reinvested into making healthy foods more accessible by subsidising fruits and vegetables to increase consumption. In addition to healthy food subsidies, SSB tax jurisdictions in the United States report using revenue to invest into early childhood programmes and community infrastructure improvements like recreation centres and public gym parks to promote physical activity (PMR, 2021).
Public support for SSB taxes varies widely by jurisdiction, although when governments commit to designating tax revenue to reinvest into improving public health, general support for taxation increases. For instance, in St. Kitts and Nevis, public opinion polls completed in 2021 reveal that support for implementing SSB taxes across the federation increases if tax revenue is earmarked for investment in health-focused initiatives like improving public water drinking infrastructure. As an evidence-based policy solution SSB taxation is strongly recommended to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and ultimately help to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Government is not only being called to act but is encouraged to consider how SSB tax revenue can be designated to increase healthcare resources and improve public health outcomes.
[1] NCD Best-Buys are evidence-based public health interventions for tackling NCDs, according to the World Health Organization
In St. Kitts and Nevis, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading cause of death among residents. According to the latest data published by the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Health, 63% of all deaths are prematurely caused by a preventable chronic illness such as stroke, cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular and respiratory diseases.
The prevalence of NCDs in the federation is a major concern for individuals, families, civil society and government because NCDs threaten quality of life, productivity and sustainable development. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global NCD Alliance recognise non-communicable diseases as the world’s number one killer.
Globally, St. Kitts and Nevis has one of the highest prevalence rates of diabetes per capita (24%). Poor diet, physical inactivity, overweight and obesity are some of the risk factors for NCDs that are prevalent among our adults and children. Health data indicate that 1 in 2 adults and 1 in 3 children in St. Kitts and Nevis are overweight or obese, and the consumption of unhealthy products like sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is at an all-time high with 62% of school-aged children drinking at least one SSB every day (Global High School Survey, 2011).
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The Dangers of SSB Consumption
The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is of particular concern since some have no nutritional value and exceed recommended daily amounts of sugar for proper health and wellbeing. Regular consumption of SSBs is a major contributor to the development of obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay and cardiovascular illnesses. Research conducted by Harvard Medical School experts reveals an association between a high-sugar diet and a greater risk of dying from heart disease since consuming too much added sugar can raise blood pressure and increase chronic inflammation, both of which are pathological pathways to heart disease.
The scientific and medical evidence on the dangers of sugar for individuals’ health and wellness is alarming. Consuming too much sugar, especially from SSBs, can be deadly and must be better monitored and controlled. Curtailing SSB consumption and promoting water as the healthy alternative is a primary approach to improving food culture and combatting the NCD epidemic.
The Solution: Government Policy Interventions
Across the world, individuals, civil society organisations (CSOs), medical professionals and governments have been advocating for and implementing solutions that help to reduce the risk factors associated with NCDs. Public education on healthy food and nutrition, accessible health screening programmes and the promotion of increased physical activity are all necessary inputs for combatting the global NCD problem.
However, addressing the problem also requires that governments take responsibility by using public policy to create healthy food environments and to help consumers make healthier choices. The WHO recommends implementing a suite of health policies that include SSB taxation and octagonal front-of-pack warning labels as evidence-based interventions that reduce the purchase and consumption of SSBs. Health advocates also call on government to implement school nutrition policies that restrict the sale and marketing of SSBs in and around schools to create and promote healthy school environments for our children. Public support for health policies like these is important for inciting government action; as data show, there is need for change in our food consumption and nutrition environments and the time to act is now more than ever.
On 26th April, we attended the Ministry of Health’s focus group on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). This event was part of the Ministry’s consultation process to get feedback as well as inform the public and key stakeholders on the progress being made to develop a national SSB policy.
This event was a follow-up to the Ministry’s SSB National Consultation which took place in November 2018 and provided an update on the policy imperatives that were presented last year.
From the focus group we learnt that the updated policy recommendations are:
A 32% excise only tax on SSBs
The tax will apply to calorically sweetened beverages including carbonated drinks (sodas), sweetened carbonated water, sugar-sweetened juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, tea and coffee drinks, sweetened milk/milk alternatives, milk powdered blended drinks, powdered drink mixes and drink mix syrups
Excluded from taxation would be fresh fruit juice (no sugar added), unsweetened milk/milk alternatives, infused water, unsweetened carbonated drinks and non-caloric sweetened drinks
Alternatives to SSBs will be suggested to the public. These would include: fruit/vegetable infused water, plain water, unsweetened carbonated water, unsweetened herbal (bush) tea and fresh-poured coconut water (unsweetened coconut water)
Thetax revenuewill be used to provide: a water infrastructure, water fountains in schools, reusable water bottles in schools, healthier school meals, public health campaigns, National Health Insurance, implementing a marketing ban to children, policy development for safe school zones and to improve agriculture education especially in primary schools
What About Artificially Sweetened Beverages?
One area still to consider, which is an interesting one, is whether to tax artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs).
ASBs are drinks that have been sweetened with non-nutritive sweeteners which include saccharin, acesulfame, aspartame, neotame, sucralose and stevia.
The field of ASBs is a confusing one. It has been hard to answer the simple question of whether they are beneficial or not. Therefore WHO funded a large global study to answer this question, but this still didn’t answer the question with health officials stating the following:
“The inconclusive results of the review of the evidence suggest that we need to see better, bigger and longer-term studies of non-sugar sweetener use, to find out for sure their benefits and risks. The review suggests that there could be some benefits in terms of preventing weight gain, but the evidence so far is not strong and does not show consistent enough results to be sure.”
Whenever there is doubt, we recommend that the public keeps things simple and uses products where there are clear health benefits and there is no doubt. The best option at the moment is to consume unsweetened beverages.
In the meantime, the Ministry will evaluate whether ASBs should be taxed as part of their SSB policy.
Why Tax SSBs?
Childhood obesity is a significant challenge here in St Kitts and Nevis. A PAHO report revealed that 33% of secondary school children in the twin-island state were overweight and 14% were obese. More recently, in 2017, a UNICEF report published that 26% of children in St Kitts and Nevis are obese.
SSBs have been linked to weight gain and obesity. Therefore, the taxation of SSBs has been utilised throughout the world as a method of tackling obesity by creating a deterrent which leads to a reduction in the purchase and consumption of SSBs.
Taxation of SSBs has three important aims. The first it to incentivise manufacturers to reformulate or replace their products to create healthier options, the second is to deter the public from purchasing and consuming SSBs by making them unaffordable and the third is to raise funds from the tax revenue that can be used to support initiatives aimed at improving the health of the public.
Next Steps
The Ministry of Health will now take all the feedback from their consultation, focus group and other engagement activities to draft a policy which will be circulated to stakeholders for any final comments before it is sent to Cabinet for approval.
On 1st November, we attended the national consultation on the impact of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). This event was organised by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) as an early step towards the development of the nation’s strategy for reducing the public’s consumption of SSBs.
The Ministry’s strategy for SSBs forms just a small part of their non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention plan which outlines actions that are needed to create a healthy environment and promote exercise.
Speakers Set the Scene
During the consultation we heard from an excellent panel of speakers which included:
Mrs Delores Stapleton-Harris, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health
Hon Wendy Phipps, Minister of State with Responsibility for Health, Community Development, Social Services and Gender Affairs
Dr Godrey Xuereb, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean
Dr Keisha Liddie, District Medical Officer
Dr Lisa Powell, Professor and Director of Health Policy and Administration, School of Public Health, University of Illinois
Dr Marissa Carty, NCD Coordinator, Ministry of Health
Together the panel outlined the need for the development of a strategy on SSBs, reminding the audience that in St Kitts and Nevis NCDs, such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure, are a major health challenge with 83% of deaths in the Federation being attributed to these conditions.
Hon Phipps described how NCDs are not only a threat to the health of the nation but are a significant socio-economic issue. Whilst Dr Xuereb provided information on the need for a SSB policy stating that it is just one of many strategies to improve the health of a nation and help countries achieve the sustainable development goal (SDG) on health. He stated that in order to achieve the SDG on health it is important to focus on improving the health of children as currently, in the Caribbean, childhood obesity is very common and is a major factor in children developing NCDs. He explained that what is driving NCDs is the increased consumption of sugar, and the major source of sugar is SSBs – SSBs make up 40% of children’s sugar intake with 70% of children in the Caribbean drinking one or more SSBs per day. He stated that data from Barbados, Mexico and Chile has shown that increasing the cost of SSBs through taxation has reduced the consumption of SSBs and therefore this is an effective strategy in tackling NCDs.
We also heard from Dr Keisha Liddie who presented a very in-depth and comprehensive situational analysis of St Kitts and Nevis. Dr Liddie described the data and trends for NCDs in the Federation showing the increase in the incidence of specific NCDs year on year and their impact on the nation. Finally, Dr Powell explored the economics, practicalities and important considerations when introducing a tax on SSBs and provided a number of recommendations which included:
Implement a 20% SSB tax
Include all forms of SSBs in the taxation strategy e.g: soda, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, sweetened teas/coffees, sweetened water and beverage powders/syrups). Exclude zero calorie beverages
Apply the tax to all imported and domestically produced SSBs
Earmark the tax revenue for public health initiatives with an emphasis on nutrition and physical activity
Carry out public awareness and education to inform the public about the SSB tax and its objectives
Ban the sale of SSBs in schools
Ban the sale of SSBs in hospitals and government buildings
Regulate the marketing of SSBs in and around schools
Develop a drinking water infrastructure in schools that provide reusable water bottles to school children
Provide local agricultural products as snacks in schools
Promote the implementation of school gardens as a learning tool and to improve access to fruits and vegetables
Explore appropriate sponsors for youth sports that align with the objectives of improving health
Provide funding to increase activity spaces
St Kitts and Nevis’ Proposed Approach to SSBs
Dr Marissa Carty outlined the Ministry’s initial ideas on their approach to reducing the consumption of SSBs and gave the audience the opportunity to provide feedback on all the policy areas. The Ministry’s proposed policy imperatives include:
A 40% tax on SSBs (update: the proposed tax is now 32%)
The tax will apply to calorically sweetened beverages including carbonated drinks (sodas), sweetened carbonated water, sugar sweetened juices, sports drinks, energy drinks, tea and coffee drinks, sweetened milk/milk alternatives, milk powdered blended drinks, powdered drink mixes and drink mix syrups
Sugar would no longer be zero rated when it comes to tax
Excludedfrom the tax would be: fresh fruit juice (no sugar added), unsweetened milk/milk alternatives, infused water, unsweetened carbonated drinks and non-caloric sweetened drinks
Alternatives to SSBs will be suggested to the public. These would include: fruit/vegetable infused water unsweetened water, plain water, unsweetened carbonated water, unsweetened herbal (bush) tea and artificially non-caloric sweetened beverages
Thetax revenue will be used to provide: a water infrastructure, water fountains in schools, reusable water bottles in schools, healthier school meals, public health campaigns, National Health Insurance, implementing a marketing ban to children and policy development for safe school zones.
Our Thoughts
We 100% support the government’s approach to SSBs as there is a need to tackle childhood obesity in St Kitts and Nevis and by reducing SSB consumption this can be achieved.
We believe a 40% (or 32%) tax is sufficiently high enough to deter consumption of all SSBs, anything lower than this could lead to consumers simply replacing expensive SSBs for more affordable SSBs. There was some evidence of this in Barbados where the tax is 10% and this suggested that this level of taxation wasn’t high enough to deter consumers from buying the lower priced SSBs.
We think it is important that the revenue raised from the SSB tax should fund public health initiatives particularly those that are aimed at childhood obesity and so we applaud the Ministry’s suggestions on the use of the tax revenue. We would also like to see the tax revenue being used to make healthy foods more affordable to ensure that parents and guardians don’t encounter any barriers to adopting healthy eating practices. It is also important for there to be full transparency on the expenditure of the tax revenue so that the public can be confident that the funds have been used to benefit the public’s health.
Next Steps
The Ministry of Health will collate the feedback received from this consultation as well as the consultation conducted in Nevis and continue to engage with key stakeholders to develop their SSB policy. This will then have to be approved by Cabinet.
We look forward to seeing this policy develop and will support the Ministry in any way that we can to see this policy developed, approved and implemented.
Last week, the UK’s Chancellor, Philip Hammond, published the UK’s 2017 Spring Budget and there were a few decisions made that will affect the public’s health and wellbeing. These decisions focus on the following areas:
Alcohol
Tobacco
Soft drinks
Access to new drugs and treatments
Health and social care services
Women’s Health (through the tampon tax fund)
Alcohol
From 13 March 2017, the duty rates on beer, cider, wine and spirits were increased in line with RPI inflation. This was not well-received by the hospitality industry who were hoping for a freeze or cut of the previously announced increases. But the government’s health impact assessment suggests that the increases are likely to lead to a minor decrease in overall alcohol consumption in the UK. From a public health point of view, this is promising news as excessive alcohol consumption is linked to an increased risk of developing a number of diseases including mouth, throat, breast and live cancers, heart disease, stroke and liver disease so any decrease in alcohol consumption is of benefit to the health of the nation.
Tobacco
From 8th March 2017, duty rates on all tobacco products increased by 2% above RPI inflation and the government will introduce a Minimum Excise Tax for cigarettes. This will target the cheapest tobacco and raise funds for the government. This policy aims to stop the public, particularly young people, from purchasing cheap cigarettes with data showing that 71% of 16-24 year olds who smoke buy the cheaper brands. By making these products unaffordable it is hoped that it will prevent young people from taking up the habit of smoking or stop those who already smoke. With smoking being strongly linked to lung cancer any strategy that reduces the amount of people who smoke will go some way to reducing lung cancer rates as well as the other diseases linked to smoking such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, stroke and more.
Soft Drinks Levy
The soft drinks levy was announced in previous budgets and in this budget the Chancellor confirmed the detail of what the levies would be. The rate for drinks with a total sugar content of 5 grams or more per 100 millilitres will be set at 18 pence per litre and those with 8 grams or more per 100 millilitres will be set at 24 pence per litre. It is expected that this will raise an extra £1Bn and will come into effect from April 2018.
The money raised from the sugar levy will be used to double the funding available to primary schools for PE and sports programmes. The government has estimated the sugar levy will raise £320 million a year for primary schools to support healthier more active lifestyles in children. The funding will not only go towards expanding PE and sports programmes but to also expand breakfast clubs in primary schools ensuring that children have access to a healthy breakfast every week day.
The idea behind the sugar levy is a good one. It’s hoped that the levy will incentivise the soft drinks industry to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, helping the public consume less sugar. The money raised will go towards helping children get more active and healthy and thus tackle our high rates of childhood obesity. So, from a public health point of view the sugar levy is a win-win.
Access to new drugs and treatments
The Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF) will support collaboration between business and the science community. There will be an initial investment of £270 million in 2017-18 to kick-start the development technologies that have the potential to transform the UK economy. The first wave of funding will focus on a number of areas, one of which will be improving and accelerating patient access to new drugs and treatments by exploring ways of improving manufacturing technologies. This is a much-needed area of focus for patients ensuring that they have access to the best treatments, but it is important to ensure that these drugs and treatments are affordable to ensure that all patients benefit.
Health and Social Care Services
An additional £2 billion will be provided to local government over the next three years to support adult social care services. Half of this funding will be made available in the 2017/2018 financial year so that councils across the UK can take immediate action to support local social care providers and relieve the pressure on the NHS locally. This a significant amount of funding and we hope that a clear strategy for social care is developed and implemented so that a real difference is made.
The government will also provide an additional £100 million to the NHS in England in 2017-18 to improve waiting times and manage the increasing demands on A&E departments. There was mention in the budget of “increase the provision of on-site GP facilities” in A&E and we feel with the increasing pressures that GPs are under coupled with the shortage of GPs, moving them into an A&E setting may not be the best approach to tackling the challenges in A&E.
The government will continue its work supporting Sustainability and Transformational Plans in the NHS and will invest £325 million over the next three years to support local proposals that aim to improve patient care in a sustainable way.
Support Women’s Health and Wellbeing Through the Tampon Tax
Tampons are considered a luxury item and therefore have to be taxed, but following a campaign to cut the tampon tax the government decided, in a previous budget, that every year £15M raised from the tampon tax will be given to women’s charities. In this current budget the Chancellor has agreed to continue this.
The tampon tax has made a significant difference to women’s health with charities like Ovarian Cancer Action, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust, The Eve Appeal and Breast Cancer Care benefiting from the funding. We hope that this funding will continue and that charities focusing on health issues that are of particular concern to black women will apply.
Our Conclusion
The government has introduced some policies and allocated funding to areas that will make a difference to the health of UK’s public. We do believe that opportunities were missed to really support disease prevention by going further with measures to reduce obesity and there was only an indirect focus on physical activity through the use of the funding for the sugar tax.
For the black community to benefit from this budget we encourage black charities working on women’s issues to explore the tampon tax funding and put in an application when the next funding round opens. We also encourage the black community to engage with their local councils and get involved in any consultations regarding the use of the money allocated to them for social care services.
Last week, George Osborne, the UK’s Chancellor, announced his latest budget. The budget has some impact on the public’s health and in this budget the major public health announcement was the levy on soft drinks (the sugar tax).
George Osborne stated that soft drinks companies will pay a levy on drinks with added sugar. This will apply to drinks with a total sugar content above 5 grams per 100 ml. A higher rate will be applied to drinks with more than 8 grams per 100 ml. The levy won’t be applied to milk-based drinks or fruit juices. The levy will come into effect from April 2018.
The money raised from the sugar levy will be used to double the funding available to primary schools for PE and sports programmes. The government has estimated the sugar levy will raise £320 million a year for primary schools to support healthier more active lifestyles in children. The funding will not only go towards expanding PE and sports programmes but to also expand breakfast clubs in primary schools ensuring that children have access to a healthy breakfast every week day.
The idea behind the sugar levy is a good one. It’s hoped that the levy will incentivise the soft drinks industry to reduce the amount of sugar in their products, helping the public consume less sugar. The money raised will go towards helping children get more active and healthy and thus tackle our high rates of childhood obesity. So, from a public health point of view the sugar levy is a win-win.
In addition to the sugar levy, the budget tackled the following health-related issues:
Improving access to child prosthetics – £1.5 million will be invested in child prosthetics so children with limb deficiency have access to sports prosthetics. The government will also create a fund to support research into the creation of new innovative prosthetic products for the NHS
Smoking – the government will continue to increase tobacco duties by more than inflation each year to discourage smokers and would-be smokers from purchasing tobacco products
Support for those with mental health conditions and young disabled people – the government will offer new peer and specialist support to help address the disability employment gap and will publish a White Paper on the role that the health, care and welfare sectors can play in supporting disabled people and those with health conditions to get into and stay in work.
There was much controversy with regards to financial support for disabled people. The Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is supposed to replace the Disability Living Allowance. In his initial budget George Osborne planned to introduce much stricter criteria for who is eligible for the PIP, this would save £1.3bn by 2020, but would affect 640,000 disabled people who would lose their benefits or get less money. In the past week disability rights campaigners spoke out about these cuts and Iain Duncan Smith, the Works and Pensions Secretary, resigned stating that the cuts were “deeply unfair”. This led to George Osborne admitting that the disability cuts had been a mistake and would be withdrawn. This is good news for those with a disability who need these benefits to improve their wellbeing and we’re happy to see that these have been withdrawn.
The Lake Foundation is happy to see the various measures that have been put into place to improve the public’e health and wellbeing and are very happy to see the sugar levy included in this latest budget and look forward to seeing how this will be implemented.
