Poisons

Since people first appeared on this planet, they have sought to avoid being poisoned. Certain snakes and spiders are given a wide berth. When picking fruits and vegetables, the knowledge of what is good for you - and what will make you sick is essential to survival. We throw away lots of food in the modern world - because we are afraid (or misled by 'best before' dates) that eating it will do us harm.

Yet some poisons are actively promoted. Alcohol, Tobacco and Sugar being the most obvious ones (and very profitable for those that make and sell the products involved). We are aware of the costs to individuals and societies [How much would be saved for the NHS if the consumption of all three were to be slashed?], but public funding to persuade people to reduce or give up these poisons is dwarfed by the amount spent on promoting them.

In the fight against Tobacco - Australia has been bold in its efforts. There is a very interesting article on the BBC website which is worth a read.

This is one of the messages that the Australian government is seeking to get across - poisons can accumulate - BUT can also disappear quite quickly if you give your body a chance.

The Soft Drink Industry Levy

What a title! It seems designed to bore - but behind it is an important initiative designed to improve the health of the nation.

Sugar is relatively cheap to produce - but the costs to individuals and society can be huge. There is growing evidence of the damage that it can do. The damage to teeth has been obvious for years - but the use of sugar has also been linked to diabetes, obesity, depression and dementia.




In the 2016 Budget, the former chancellor, George Osborne announced the introduction of a levy on soft drinks. The levy would apply to manufacturers and importers of sugar added soft drinks and would be implemented in April 2018.  There would be exemptions for fruit juices and milk based drinks and for small producers.  The proceeds of the Levy would be used in England to increase spending on PE in schools, after school clubs and breakfast clubs.

Not only will this 'sugar tax' bring in extra resources for good causes - but it is intended to discourage over-consumption of a delicious but deadly poison. The House of Commons Library [an independent, non-party political body] has produced a research paper on the Levy. It is available here.