A tax on sugary drinks is set to be implemented by April of next year, but those in the industry are worried that the tax may not have the desired effects.
Carolyn Fell of the Canadian Beverage Association and Paul Heffernan of Browning Harvey spoke with Gerri-Lynn Mackey on the VOCM Morning Show. Listen below:
Carolyn Fell, Vice President of the Canadian Beverage Association, says sugary drink taxes have been implemented in other jurisdictions and “they just don’t work.”
She explains that they don’t reduce calories by much, and there are always effects on jobs and investments in communities.
She says there are over 800 direct jobs related to the industry in this province and they want to make sure those are sustainable while also helping government reach their goals.
Fell states that the beverage industry has been proactive in addressing concerns around consumption, citing a balanced calories program that was launched five years ago as an example.
She says there are other options moving forward, such as doing something at the point of sale to encourage low calorie options.
