Health Minister Łukasz Szumowski told private broadcaster Radio Zet on Sunday that Poles consume “100 litres of sweetened drinks per person per year.”
He added: “Sometimes analyses show that in the case of children carbonated sweetened drinks may make up 40 to 60 percent of the total calorie needs per day. This is a dramatic situation.”
Szumowski said that obesity is not the only problem as sugar increases the risk of diseases of the cardiovascular system, cancers and type 2 diabetes, among other health conditions. He added: “The state spends PLN 2 billion [EUR 0.47 bn, USD 0.52 bn] on diabetes alone."
The planned new tax is part of a draft law to amend a number of regulations in a bid to promote pro-health consumer choices, according to officials.
The proposal provides for the imposition of a fee of PLN 1 on each bottle of alcohol sold up to 300 ml, as well as a fee of PLN 0.70 or PLN 0.80 for a sweetened drink, the PAP news agency reported.
Moreover, the draft includes a fee for advertising dietary supplements.
The proposed deadline for introducing the new regulations is April 1, 2020.
(aba/gs)
Source: PAP