Examing a Federal Excise Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages as a Measure of Health Promotion
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2016-09
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Abstract
Rates of obesity and chronic disease have been on the rise in Canada, contributing to the burden on provincial and territorial healthcare systems at the expense of other public programs. Many of these illnesses – heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer – are nutrition related and are preventable. A major contributor to these illnesses is sugar and its overconsumption. Sugar – especially added-‐‑sugars – can be found in many packaged and processed foods with no additional nutritional value. Unfortunately, the negative health effects of unconsciously consuming sugar in abundance is not internalized by many Canadians. This effectively elevates the risk of disease, and subsequently an increased demand for healthcare services and creates a burden on the economy in general. Unfortunately, Canada’s existing health promotion and prevention initiatives do not seem to be achieving the goal of alleviating the unnecessary costs to the healthcare system in terms of affecting a change in behaviour of Canadians. As such, the choice of policy instrument should be reconsidered. This project will study the rationale for a tax on sugar-‐‑ sweetened beverages in Canada, its impact on the economy, and factors that must be considered when implementing such a tax.
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Giang, Amanda. (2016). Examing a Federal Excise Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages as a Measure of Health Promotion ( Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.