European Health Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi on Thursday signalled his openness to a taxation system on products high in sugar, fat, and salt to help finance public health during a meeting with the European Parliament’s health committee.
Asked by Renew MEP Vlad Voiculescu about his thoughts on taxing highly processed food, the commissioner concluded that it is “something we can reflect on” within the framework of the Commission’s cardiovascular health plan.
“We need a good measurement tool, because we’ve had these debates and, in general, they always end up in an ideological discussion about depriving people of their choices, about imposing conditions on industries, rather than about protecting public health,” Várhelyi said.
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How about a tax on wealth, you gormless cocks?
Public health is also very important though.
Unhealthy food should always be less convenient than healthy food.
Is a tax on unhealthy food going to make vegetables cheaper?
No. But it will force companies to make their unhealthy products less unhealthy to remain competitive.
Just halving the amount of sugar in sweets and soft drinks would probably add months to the average life expectancy and reduce healthcare cost drastically (especially dental expenses).
Why not both?