Health System Comittee (also known as CPHAC-HAC) - 1.6.1 Letter to the Minister re reducing childhood obesity including sugar tax

26 April 2018

Hon. Dr David Clark
Minister of Health
Private Bag 18041
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160
Email: david.clark@parliament.govt.nz

Dear Minister
Re: Implementation of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages as part of a suite of measures to
improve child health especially child oral health
I am writing in my capacity as Chair of Capital & Coast District Health Board on behalf of the Board.
Our DHB has been concerned for some time now regarding rising obesity rates amongst NZ children
with a third of NZ children having an unhealthy weight, and over 10% being obese. For the first time
in history, NZ children could live shorter lives than their parents as a result of excess weight and
obesity.
The burden of obesity and its impacts is greatest on our Pacific and Māori children and those from
the deprived communities. We are equally concerned about the poor oral health of some groups of
children in our population, including those under five and our Māori and Pacific kids. Our families are
living in environments, and often with limited resources, which are not supportive of healthy lives.
Obesity is a major cause of increasing demand and rising costs, straining our hospitals and health
services. The risk factors related to obesity can lead to chronic disease and/or limit a person’s ability
to work or take part in family and community activities. As a DHB, our efforts and resources are
heavily invested in working with people whose health is already being adversely affected as a
consequence of established lifestyle patterns. We are also seeing a significant rise in the number of
children and young people with obesity related disease, including type 2 diabetes, and dental
extractions for children under the age of five. This is not only distressing for the young person and
their families but it is preventable and an avoidable cost to our public health system.
CCDHB does invest in a number of primary prevention activities including: Project Energize, a
successful programme that reduces childhood obesity; Green Prescription, supporting individuals
and families to make lifestyle changes, supporting oral health in schools; and a range of public health
initiatives including water in schools. These are insufficient to mitigate the impacts of obesity and
poor dental health in our communities.
The Board acknowledges and supports the policy direction your Government is following on this
issue. We understand the difficulties with various lobby groups in this highly contentious space and
would encourage you to be as proactive as possible, particularly in relation to sugar-sweetened
beverages (SSBs), including consideration of the introduction of a tax.

Capital & Coast DHB   Private Bag 7902, Wellington South
Wellington Hospital, Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington 6021
Phone: 04 385 5999   Fax: 04 385 5856

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 Health System Comittee (also known as CPHAC-HAC) - 1.6.1 Letter to the Minister re reducing childhood obesity including sugar tax

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently stated there is clear evidence that taxes and
subsidies influence purchasing behaviour and that this could be used to curb consumption of sugarsweetened drinks and hence fight obesity and diabetes. WHO notes in a 2015 report titled Fiscal
Policies for Diet and Prevention of No communicable Diseases that if retail prices of sugar-sweetened
drinks are increased by 20 percent through taxation, there will be proportional drop in consumption.
An SSB tax is supported by the NZ dental profession, with the NZ Dental Association and partner
organisations’ Consensus Statement - Sugary Drinks calling for a tax on SSBs consistent with the
WHO guidelines. In addition, the Australian Medical Association has recently publicised its support
for a tax on SSBs and urged the Australian Government to act (http://www.smh.com.au/federalpolitics/political-news/advertising-banned-drinks-taxed-vending-machines-removed-doctors-plan-for-war-onsugar-20180105-h0duw0.html).

At its February 2018 Board meeting, that Capital and Coast Board agreed to:
a) Endorse the introduction of a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs);
b) Write to you and request that the Government move swiftly to implement a tax on SSBs,
and strongly consider including artificially-sweetened beverages given that they are also
harmful to oral health, as part of a wider set of measures to improve and protect child
health;
c) Communicate this position publicly and practically support the Government to develop and
implement such a tax.
As a health system we touch the lives of many families and continue to identify and implement ways
to support healthy communities. Your commitment to school based clinics and ensuring the strength
of our health services will also assist us to support healthy communities and families. This would be
more effective when the environment supports fewer unnecessary sugar-sweetened beverages and
energy drinks.
Importantly, we also acknowledge that a tax such as we have suggested will impact on low-decile
populations and we are prepared to support those populations with approaches that will assist in
the efficacy of such a policy
I trust you will give this request serious consideration. I can assure you that the DHB will fully
support you and the Government. Please do get in touch if we can assist in any way.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Blair
Chair
Capital & Coast District Health Board

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