A poll indicates that 60 percent of Germans support a sugar tax on sugary drinks. The CDU is currently debating a controversial proposal from Schleswig-Holstein. Foodwatch is calling for the tax to protect public health.
The United Kingdom has imposed a tax on sugary drinks since 2018, and now 60 percent of polled Germans favor a similar levy in Germany. This comes from a Forsa survey commissioned by Foodwatch, exclusively available to the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND). The polling institute surveyed 1,003 people aged 18 and over in early February. The tax would be tiered: the higher the sugar content, the higher the levy. Thirty-eight percent opposed the idea. Support was higher among women at 66 percent than men at 55 percent. Higher earners and households with children showed more backing than low earners and childless households.
Nearly three-quarters of respondents, precisely 73 percent, demand that politics take measures to reduce sugar content in drinks like cola, lemonade, or iced tea—51 percent fully agreed, 22 percent somewhat agreed.
The debate was recently fueled by Schleswig-Holstein's Minister President Daniel Günther (CDU), who calls the sugar tax "politisch und ökonomisch längst geboten." At the upcoming party congress of the Union, a motion from the CDU Schleswig-Holstein on this topic will be discussed. Foodwatch highlights the health risks: According to the WHO, sugar consumption, including soft drinks, is a main factor in the global rise of overweight and diabetes. "The CDU must stand behind Günther's proposal to protect our children and our health system," said Luise Molling from Foodwatch.
The proposal is controversial within the CDU. The food industry association BVE argues that there is no scientific evidence that a sugar tax leads to better health effects or reduces childhood obesity.
