Yes, tax sugar but ease up on alcohol

I REFER to the commentary, "Time to bring sugar into the 'sin tax' net" (BT, Feb 1), by Vikram Khanna.

A sugar tax in Singapore is worth exploring, given the alarming rise in the incidence of diabetes to 12.9 per cent of the adult population last year, as well as the increase in childhood obesity, according to epidemiologists at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore.

While it may be too sweeping to blame the problems of diabetes and obesity squarely on soda guzzling, a sugar tax will help reduce sugar content in food and beverages, as well as consumption. A sugar tax implemented in Mexico two years ago led to a cut in the consumption of sugary drinks by an estimated 12 per cent and raised more than US$2 billion in tax revenues.