Tax on Sugary Drinks

Excessive sugary drink intake is a major risk factor for developing unhealthy weights and resultant chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, chronic kidney disease and some cancers.

An excise levy on companies that produce sugary drinks would go far in reducing death, disability, and health care costs. This adds to the growing body of international evidence that supports the health and economic benefits of a sugary drink levy. According to a study entitled “The Health and Economic Impact of a Tax on Sugary Drinks in Canada”1, over the next 25 years, a 20 per cent excise levy on the manufacturers of sugary drinks will result in more than 13,000 lives saved, contribute to $11.5 billion in health care savings and will prevent:

• More than 600,000 cases of obesity and almost 100,000 cases of overweight among Canadian adults;
• Up to 200,000 cases of type 2 diabetes;
• More than 60,000 cases of ischemic heart disease;
• More than 20,000 cases of cancer; and
• More than 8,000 strokes.

As a part of a comprehensive approach to achieving healthy weights, we endorse the recommendations that the federal, provincial, and territorial governments:

• Introduce a tax in their respective jurisdictions on sugar-sweetened beverages, and;
• Use some of the revenues generated from this tax to fund healthy living initiatives.

If you feel strongly about the implementation of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, write to your local member of parliament. Find your MP’s mailing address by visiting https://www.ourcommons.ca/Parliamentarians/en/members.

1   JONES AC, VEERMAN JL. HAMMOND D. THE HEALTH AND ECONOMIC IMPACT OF A TAX ON SUGARY DRINKS IN CANADA (SUMMARY). JANUARY 2017.