Federal Govt Moves To Halt Excessive Sugar Consumption In Beverages

The federal government has taken steps to address excessive consumption of Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs) by inaugurating an ad-hoc committee on SSB tax as part of efforts to halt the increasing rate of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) in the country.

SSB refers to any liquid that is sweetened with various forms of added sugar like corn syrup, fructose, glucose, honey, lactose, malt syrup and sucrose, including carbonated drinks, energy drinks and milk-based drinks, pre-sweetened teas and coffees and juice drinks.

The committee is saddled with the responsibility of addressing excessive consumption of SSB through actualising comprehensive coordinated and sustainable implementation strategies of the SSB tax regime.

The director/head, public health department, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Chukwuma Anyaike, in his opening address at the inaugural meeting of the ad-hoc committee organised by the NCDs division of the Federal Ministry of Health, yesterday in Abuja, said, “The terms of reference of the committee will include but are not limited to ‘working to expand the scope of the SSB tax to include a wide range of sugary drinks, determine most effective option for legislative framework, and to examine the current perceptions of the opportunities and barriers for SSB health taxes.”

Represented by the deputy director, NCDs division, Federal Ministry of Health, Mrs. Etta Nneka, Anyaike said the SSB Tax ad-hoc committee will also advise the Risk Factor Sub-committee of the National Committee on NCDs.

Earlier, the national coordinator for the NCDs division of the Ministry, Dr. Deborah Odoh, noted that ‘frequent consumption of SSB is associated with increased incidence of dental cavities, tooth decay and obesity. Obesity is in turn a risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus, heart disease, stroke, and hypertension, SSB consumption has also been linked to some forms of cancer.’

Partners at the meeting praised the Federal Ministry of Health for moving forward in the fight against NCDs using the instrumentality of the tax as they fight back the blackmail and threat of SSB industry players.

Present at the meeting were representatives of different Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government with important roles to play in the implementation of the SSB tax towards tackling of Nigeria’s NCDs burden.