In this modern day, some countries impose a higher tax on sugar in order to encourage people to consume healthier food. Personally, I think that this approach has more disadvantages than advantages.
On the one hand, some beneficial effects of heavy tax on sugar are undeniable. Firstly, taxing sugar at a higher level will help citizens promote healthier diets. Specifically, higher taxes lead to higher products’ prices, which makes people unwilling to purchase and consume sweet products. As a result, this encourages people’s healthier eating choices and helps them avoid health problems associated with excessive sugar consumption such as obesity and diabetes. Secondly, this approach reduces the burden on healthcare systems. The rise of sugar taxes lowers the number of patients from overconsumption of sugar. Not only does this reduce cure fees and the financial support from the government for their diseases, but it also leads to a fact that more money from the state budget will be available for other key areas, especially education and economy.
On the other hand, I firmly believe that the drawbacks of raising sugar tax are much greater. The first drawback is that this measurement can cause serious damage to companies producing sweet products. If some large companies, specialized in products such as sweetened beverages and confectioneries, are taxed more on sugar, they will have to pay more money on ingredients and raise their prices of products in the market, simultaneously. As these changes surpass the affordability of the mass, the number of products being sold will decrease, leading to the decline of over revenue. The second drawback is related to people’s energy. To be more particular, sugar energizes people in daily activities such as working, studying and exercising. Lowering people’s sugar consumption reduces their nutrients as well as energy intake, negatively affecting both mental and physical health, which then possibly brings about worse working or study performances and living quality.
In conclusion, despite the fact that higher taxes on sugar will lower risk of developing diseases and ensure the medical quality of the country, I reaffirm my conviction that they are significantly overshadowed by the drawbacks that are related to the reduction in revenue of companies manufacturing sweet products and adequate energy supply for individuals’ daily activities.