The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public Health
The World Health Organization highlights fiscal policies as priority interventions for the promotion of healthy eating in its Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. The taxation of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) in particular is noted to be an effective measure, a...
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doaj-a2afbfd6971b495b9a7ee17ff8d538282020-11-25T02:28:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652020-04-01810.3389/fpubh.2020.00110490478The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public HealthFrancisco Goiana-da-Silva0Francisco Goiana-da-Silva1David Cruz-e-Silva2Oliver Bartlett3Joana Vasconcelos4Alexandre Morais Nunes5Hutan Ashrafian6Marisa Miraldo7Maria do Céu Machado8Fernando Araújo9Ara Darzi10Centre for Health Policy, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, London, United KingdomFaculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, PortugalCentre for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research, IN+, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, PortugalDepartment of Law, Maynooth University, Maynooth, IrelandCentro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Serviço Nacional de Saúde, Oporto, PortugalCentro de Administração e Políticas Públicas, Instituto Superior de Ciências Sociais e Políticas, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, PortugalCentre for Health Policy, Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Economics and Public Policy & Centre for Economics and Policy Innovation, Imperial College Business School, London, United KingdomFaculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, PortugalCentro Hospitalar Universitário São João, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade do Porto, Oporto, Portugal0Department of Surgery and Cancer, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, United KingdomThe World Health Organization highlights fiscal policies as priority interventions for the promotion of healthy eating in its Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. The taxation of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) in particular is noted to be an effective measure, and SSBs taxes have already been implemented in several countries worldwide. However, although the evidence base suggests that this will be effective in helping to combat rising obesity rates, opponents of SSBs taxation argue that it is illiberal and paternalistic, and therefore should be avoided. Bioethical analysis may play an essential role in clarifying whether policymakers should adopt SSBs taxes as part of wider obesity strategy. In this article we argue that no single ethical theory can account for the complexities inherent in obesity prevention strategy, especially the liberal theories relied upon by opponents of SSBs taxation. We contend that a pluralist approach to the ethics of SSBs taxation must be adopted as the only suitable way of accounting for the multiple overlapping, and sometimes, conflicting factors that are relevant to determining the moral acceptability of such an intervention.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00110/fullsweetened beveragestaxationpricing policiesbioethicshealth policy |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Francisco Goiana-da-Silva Francisco Goiana-da-Silva David Cruz-e-Silva Oliver Bartlett Joana Vasconcelos Alexandre Morais Nunes Hutan Ashrafian Marisa Miraldo Maria do Céu Machado Fernando Araújo Ara Darzi |
spellingShingle |
Francisco Goiana-da-Silva Francisco Goiana-da-Silva David Cruz-e-Silva Oliver Bartlett Joana Vasconcelos Alexandre Morais Nunes Hutan Ashrafian Marisa Miraldo Maria do Céu Machado Fernando Araújo Ara Darzi The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public Health Frontiers in Public Health sweetened beverages taxation pricing policies bioethics health policy |
author_facet |
Francisco Goiana-da-Silva Francisco Goiana-da-Silva David Cruz-e-Silva Oliver Bartlett Joana Vasconcelos Alexandre Morais Nunes Hutan Ashrafian Marisa Miraldo Maria do Céu Machado Fernando Araújo Ara Darzi |
author_sort |
Francisco Goiana-da-Silva |
title |
The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public Health |
title_short |
The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public Health |
title_full |
The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public Health |
title_fullStr |
The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public Health |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Ethics of Taxing Sugar-Sweetened Beverages to Improve Public Health |
title_sort |
ethics of taxing sugar-sweetened beverages to improve public health |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Public Health |
issn |
2296-2565 |
publishDate |
2020-04-01 |
description |
The World Health Organization highlights fiscal policies as priority interventions for the promotion of healthy eating in its Action Plan for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable Diseases. The taxation of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) in particular is noted to be an effective measure, and SSBs taxes have already been implemented in several countries worldwide. However, although the evidence base suggests that this will be effective in helping to combat rising obesity rates, opponents of SSBs taxation argue that it is illiberal and paternalistic, and therefore should be avoided. Bioethical analysis may play an essential role in clarifying whether policymakers should adopt SSBs taxes as part of wider obesity strategy. In this article we argue that no single ethical theory can account for the complexities inherent in obesity prevention strategy, especially the liberal theories relied upon by opponents of SSBs taxation. We contend that a pluralist approach to the ethics of SSBs taxation must be adopted as the only suitable way of accounting for the multiple overlapping, and sometimes, conflicting factors that are relevant to determining the moral acceptability of such an intervention. |
topic |
sweetened beverages taxation pricing policies bioethics health policy |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00110/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
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