Home : Research Results : Sugar poll: don't tax, reduce serving sizes
18 Feb 14
More than 850,000 adult New Zealanders believe they or someone in their household have developed health problems as a result of consuming sugar.
However, they prefer reducing the amount of sugar in drinks and reducing the size of sugar-containing drinks to imposing a sugar tax to deter demand.
A new survey this month of 3,451 adult New Zealanders finds the equivalent of 880,700 adults nationwide believe they or someone in their household have developed health problems including ones like diabetes, impaired immune system, tooth decay and deadly diseases like cancer and heart diseases as a result of consuming too much sugar.
16% of adults believe their health has suffered as a result of consuming too much sugar and 12.6% say someone in their household has.
The belief that the health of someone in the household has suffered is held in the equivalent of 426,000 of the country's 1.55 million households.
A university study published last week concluded a 20% tax on sugar drinks might reduce consumption sufficiently to save 67 lives a year.
The Horizon Research study, undertaken between January 24 and February 14, finds consumers prefer sugar portion control over taxes.
Taxing sugar content of drinks is favoured by 44.2% overall (16% definite, 26.2% possibly for) and opposed by 49% (36% definitely against, 13.1% possibly). That is the equivalent of 1,570,000 million against, 1,413,500 for.
A tax on the sugar content of take away foods is also opposed:
An unnamed Australian law firm has advertised in New Zealand for people who believe they have been harmed by sugar in cola drinks to join a class action.
Those who do would not face any costs unless a class action were won.
The Horizon study finds the equivalent of 499,000 adults saying they would “definitely” join a class action to sue cola makers on this basis.
Respondents are members of Horizon’s HorizonPoll national online panel, recruited to match the 18+ population, Survey results are weighted by age, gender, ethnicity, educational qualifications and party voted for at the 2011 general election to provide a representative sample of the adult population. At a 95% confidence level, the maximum margin of error is +/- 1.7%.
Survey questions and top line results relating to sugar policy options are here.
CONTACT:
For further information and detailed analysis and reporting on this survey please contact:
Grant McInman, Manager, Horizon Research Limited
E-mail: gmcinman@horizonresearch.co.nz
Telephone: 021 076 2040
HorizonPoll Online Survey system
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