INCREASING consumption of sugar is currently one of the biggest problems we face in terms of public health.
In Wales, we have some of the highest rates of overconsumption of sugar and obesity, so we need to be at the cutting edge of tackling these issues.
That’s why Plaid Cymru has proposed a levy on sugary drinks.
A tax of around 20% on sugar sweetened drinks could reduce the number of people who are overweight by 13,300 and the number who are obese by 8,300, and generate £45 million in revenue that could be reinvested into the Welsh NHS.
We could use this money to help recruit a thousand extra doctors to the NHS in Wales.
Plaid’s Pop Tax could reduce consumption of emptycalorie sugary drinks, whilst also generating important funds that could be invested to ensure that our health service is dynamic enough and well-enough resourced to deal with the problems it faces.
ELIN JONES AM
Plaid Cymru
Shadow Health Minister
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