MISSION
Sugar-free Smiles advocates for public health policies and regulatory initiatives to reduce sugar consumption and improve the oral health of all Australians.
GOALS
- Introduction of a minimum 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Ensure that revenue derived from this tax is used to fund health promotion programs, and targeted to health expenditure for oral health, diabetes and obesity.
- Reduce the amount and frequency of marketing and promotion of high sugar food and drink products to children and adults.
- Improve food labeling to allow people to make healthy food choices with respect to sugar.
- Reduce the sugar content of their food and drink products.
- Reduce price promotions and marketing of high sugar food and drink products.
- Reduce sponsorship of sporting and recreational activities by companies promoting high sugar food and drink products, particularly those activities directed at children.
- Raise awareness about the impact of sugar levels in diet, with a focus on oral health.
SUGAR TAX
A sugar-sweetened beverage tax would:
- Reduce consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages.
- Reduce the incidence and burden of dental disease, overweight and obesity, and subsequent chronic health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.
- Reduced subsequent health costs.
- Provide increased funding for implementation of public health and prevention strategies and management of disease.
- Pressure industry to reduce sugar content in processed foods and beverages
- Raise awareness and education in the community about health affects of sweetened foods and beverages
ORAL HEALTH FACTS
- 1 in 2 children aged 12 years old have tooth decay in their adult teeth
- 10% of 12-year-old children have 5 adult teeth (out of 28) affected by tooth decay
- 55% of children aged 6 years have tooth decay in their baby teeth
- 10% of 6 year old children have 10 baby teeth (out of 20) affected by tooth decay
- 1 in 2 children aged 5 years old have tooth decay in their baby teeth
Tweets from @SugarFreeSmiles
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RT @AusSugarTax: This is an excellent overview of the issues involved in getting a sugar tax on the political agenda and through the… https://t.co/Y2ZLhSqjcN -
RT @janemartinopc: Attending the launch of @aihw Australia’s Health 2018. Many positive trends including tobacco and alcohol use, but… https://t.co/u0SYvxMyBe
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RT @DrMuzz57: @EatingHealthAli @Matt_Hopcraft @janemartinopc But utterly predictable. See Otero et al 2015 Soc Sci Med on the neo… https://t.co/bgrXe9jFHn
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RT @LucyCFarrell: Disappointing to see @abcnews reporting on @aihw Australia's Health 2018 roll out trite 'headless fatty' image & si… https://t.co/2U3hjFs8Gd
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RT @EatingHealthAli: AIHW. Australia doing badly on obesity. “We need to see sugar coming out of the food supply we need to be sending p… https://t.co/75voKtSFDX
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