Iceland review - 2019, Page 19

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Iceland Review
Taxing for health?
One of the stated goals put forth by
Iceland’s current government in 2017 is to
inspect economic incentives to improve
public health. The goal ties in with a new
action plan from the Directorate of Health
to fight obesity in Iceland, spearheaded
by Minister of Health and Left-Green
Movement MP Svandís Svavarsdóttir.
The sugar tax is the first of 14 steps in the
Directorate’s plan, which also includes
initiatives such as offering healthier food
choices in schools, sports complexes,
workplaces, and the community at large.
The plan also proposes a ban on market-
ing unhealthy food to children. The hefty
sugar tax suggested by the action plan
is meant to reduce sugar consumption
among the public. If the tax is approved,
Iceland will follow in the footsteps of coun-
tries such as Ireland, France, Norway, and
Mexico.
Sugar and spice don’t make it nice
Excessive sugar consumption has been
pinpointed as a serious public health
issue in Iceland, a country with a notori-
ous sweet tooth. Diet is considered one of
the main risk factors for Icelanders’ mor-
bidity. According to a 2013 Directorate
of Health report, about 21% of Icelandic
adults had a Body Mass Index of 30 or
greater, while 5% of children were cat-
egorised as overweight. Soft drinks
accounted for 34% of the sugar consump-
tion of Icelanders between 2010 and 2011.
In a 2018 survey, it was revealed that 20%
of adults consumed carbonated drinks,
both with and without added sugar, one
or more times a day. Such findings led the
Directorate of Health to the conclusion
that greater measures need to be taken
to encourage Icelanders to eat healthier.
Proposed Sugar Tax
Words by
Jóhann Páll Ástvaldsson
Photography by
Golli
IN FOCUS
In an effort to improve public health,
the Icelandic government plans to
impose a sugar tax of 20% on prod-
ucts such as candy, chocolate, and
sweetened soft drinks. The proposed
tax is meant to discourage Iceland-
ers from consuming sugary products
– which they do more of than any of
their Nordic neighbours. Sweetened
soft drinks are a particular culprit:
it is estimated that they are respon-
sible for one third of the added sugar
in Icelanders’ diets. The impending
tax is not without its critics, howev-
er, who believe it’s a tad too author-
itarian for the state to meddle with
individuals’ dietary choices.
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