In Mexico, the consumption of sugary soft drinks is associated with the deaths of 100,000 people each year from diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, as these products represent a “silent engine” for the “epidemic” of these conditions, said Eduardo Clark, Undersecretary of Integration and Development of the Ministry of Health.
With a consumption of 24 billion liters per year, the country ranks first worldwide in per capita consumption of these beverages, which cause illness and death.
At the presidential conference, a broad presentation was given to explain the reasons for the soda tax, highlighting that in 1980, 60 out of every 1,000 deaths were due to heart disease; today, the figure is 163 out of every 1,000. “All of this is linked to metabolic diseases, such as obesity, overweight, diabetes, and hypertension. This crisis was not inevitable; it is associated with the epidemic of soda and junk food consumption in the country,” Clark said.
She highlighted that the health sector currently allocates 180 billion pesos annually to treat these conditions and their consequences, such as chronic kidney failure. Every year, 100,000 patients require dialysis to stay alive, costing institutions 415,000 pesos per patient per year, “a figure that is clearly not sustainable (…) this epidemic of diseases—because there is no other way to describe it—could collapse the health system in the medium and long term.”
In arguing for the increase in the tax, President Claudia Sheinbaum reiterated that it is not intended to raise revenue, but rather a determination whose central objective is to reduce the consumption of sugary drinks and to prevent their overconsumption, due to the effect it has on the health of all of us, particularly children.
Clark emphasized that there is global evidence of the effectiveness of similar measures in other nations to discourage people from consuming these products due to their harmful effects, an assessment echoed by thousands of doctors, scientists, and national and international civil organizations.
Currently, 119 countries around the world implement similar measures, which means it is a proven policy with substantial effects: the United Kingdom allowed a 30 percent reduction in sugar in these beverages, which were reformulated; in South Africa, consumption fell by 29 percent; and in Chile, it fell by 21 percent. In Mexico, the measure was first implemented in 2014 and produced an initial 5 percent reduction, but currently, Mexicans consume 166 liters per capita per year.
He emphasized that these products have zero nutritional value, provide no vitamins, minerals, or fiber, and pose a high risk by increasing preventable deaths and the prevalence of metabolic syndrome. They represent a factor in massive illness and are now the primary source of sugar in the Mexican diet, and “not only do they cause obesity, which seems to be the main concern for many people, they also maim, sicken, and kill.”
That’s why they are seeking to discourage their consumption, he noted, but admitted that this tax increase will raise 41 billion pesos to be allocated to the health sector and the treatment of these conditions. The measure will be accompanied by a media campaign to raise awareness about the health risks caused by sugary drinks, and it is estimated that its implementation will reduce soft drink sales in the country by 7 percent.
In turn, the director of IMSS-Bienestar, Alejandro Svarch, considered that this decision is intended “to also force the industry to reformulate, to make healthier products, and to put innovation where we believe it should be: in making increasingly healthier products.”
Source: jornada
