That’s sweet! Sugar tax on soft drinks saves children’s teeth by preventing more than 5,500 hospital admissions for extractions, study suggests
- Cambridge University said BMJ had the biggest impact on people under the age of nine
A sugar tax on soft drinks has helped prevent more than 5,500 hospital admissions for child tooth extractions, a study shows.
The levy encouraged manufacturers to reduce the sugar content in soft drinks, which is one of the main reasons for tooth decay in children.
Experts estimate that the tax, introduced in 2018, has reduced the number of under-18s having a tooth removed due to tooth decay by 12 percent.
Based on a population of almost 13 million children, this equates to a reduction of 5,638 hospital admissions due to tooth decay.
The biggest impact was on people under the age of nine, researchers from Cambridge University told the BMJ.
Experts estimate that the sugar tax on soft drinks, introduced in 2018, has reduced the number of under-18s having their teeth removed due to tooth decay by 12 percent (Stock Image)
Sugar-sweetened beverages account for about 30 percent of the added sugars in the diets of children ages one to three and more than half of older teens (File Photo)
Sugar-sweetened beverages account for about 30 percent of the added sugars in the diets of children ages one to three, and more than half of older teens.
In England, almost 90 percent of tooth extractions in young children are due to tooth decay – resulting in 60,000 missed school days each year.
Eddie Crouch, of the British Dental Association, who says the sugar tax should be extended to other products, said: “It delivers the goods in the fight against spoilage.”