Netizens Respond To Possible Sugar Tax, By Asking Why Bottled Water Isn’t Cheaper

Netizens React Hilariously To Ministry Of Health’s Proposed Sugar Tax & Ban On High-Sugar Drinks

Just don’t ban Milo can already.

This is the general consensus that netizens have come to, after the Ministry of Health (MOH) announced a public consultation regarding a possible ban on packet drinks with high sugar content.

As the diabetic patient count continues to rise locally, MOH has now declared a “war on diabetes” with a proposed sugar tax, among other measures.

Netizens, in the face of possibly losing access to sugary sweet drinks, are taking it rather stoically.

In true Internet fashion, they’ve turned to humour to cope.

Don’t ban Milo, tolong

This man was totally down for the tax, provided his condition be met.

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Others agreed that cheap bottled water would be a strong incentive for consumers to choose “the healthier option”.

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This upvoted comment was a clear reflection of the average Singaporean’s priorities.

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And this man had a hilarious take on how a possible ban may affect the popular energy drink, Red Bull.

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A can of Coke > 50% sugar intake/day

Each person should consume 12 teaspoons of sugar daily, to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

25% of our “sweetened beverages” account for almost half that amount, at an average of 5.5 teaspoons of sugar. Regular Coke has 39g of sugar, the equivalent of 9 1/3 teaspoons.

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This means drinking a can of Coke during lunch already puts you halfway past your sugar limit for the day.

MOH also shared that drinking 250ml of sugar-sweetened beverages daily, could raise your chances of getting diabetes by a whopping 18-26%.

Waging war on Diabetes

MOH’s proposed solution includes these measures for high-sugar drinks:

1. Complete ban on pre-packaged drinks
2. Single/Tiered Tax
3. Compulsory, front-facing labelling of sugar/nutrition content
4. Advertising ban on high-sugar drinks (on social media/buses)

If you’re concerned that Milo will be taken off the shelves anytime soon, fret not.

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Currently, high-sugar drinks are already banned in schools and on government premises. So if the drinks are sold in schools, they probably don’t fall under the “high-sugar drink” category.

Contrary to popular belief, the ‘Healthier Choice Symbol’ isn’t a mandatory measure. The onus is on the drink manufacturer to apply for and display the symbol, voluntarily.

Yakult how?

On a serious note, you can join the open discussion by MOH and the Health Promotion Board (HPB) on whether we should implement 4 measures to reduce sugar intake in drinks like these:

• Soda/Soft Drinks
• Cordial Mix
• Yoghurt Drinks
• 3-in-1 Formulas/Mixes
• Fruit Juice

There’ll also be “public dialogues” by MOH and HPB in the coming months — details will be “provided closer to date”.

Get the full details at REACH at this link. You’ll be able to submit your views via their feedback form on-site, from these dates, 4 Dec 2018 (6pm) to 25 Jan 2019 (6pm).

May the Red Bull give you wings as you make your submissions, while it still can.

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Featured image from John T on Unsplash.