drinks

A sugar tax to ‘tackle obesity’ is among proposals being considered by the government

Further to renewed calls today for a  tax on ‘sugar sweetened’ drinks.

Eamon Delaney, at the  Hibernia Forum writes:

The Sugar tax proposal is yet another nanny state measure which benefits politicians and the tax collector but doesn’t address the problem it says it does. This ineffective measure uses a sledgehammer inflationary approach and focuses on the wrong area.

We absolutely need to address the growing problem of obesity but this should be done through education, more exercise, less car dependency etc and not just by singling out one product for a punitive financial penalty..

The reality is that sugar taxes don’t reduce obesity and are regressive…

…The obesity problem requires a multi-faceted approach

Soft drinks companies have been active on this issue. In Ireland they say they have increased their marketing spend on no and low sugar options by 80% over the last five years, are not marketing and advertising any beverages to children under 12s, and say they are committed to reformulation

The beverage industry is leading on addressing obesity through a mix of effective measures. Reformulation of sugar sweetened beverages in Ireland has already resulted in a 10% reduction in energy – 15% when the shift towards low and no calorie drinks is included.

They are also reviewing their marketing practices to ensure advertising in a responsible manner, including increasing public awareness on consumption and nutrition.

In fairness, they are committed to doing more, including continuing to accelerate their low calories beverages; aggressive reformulation of their products; and introducing new products with reduced calories.

While obesity rates are rising in Ireland, between 2000 and 2012 the sales of sugar sweetened beverages fell by 21% (sparkling sugar sweetened beverages fell by 28% in the same period).

So what is this about? Why would a sugar tax change this?

Sugared per caps have dropped by 28% since 2003, while lights/waters have grown from 25.7% to 31.9%

With sparkling soft drinks contributing just 3% of total calorie intake in the Irish diet, a tax would be both ineffective in helping to combat obesity and unfair to consumers who would face additional costs.

Lastly we should remember two things:

1. That there’s already a tax on sugary drinks, vat at 23%, and

2. Vat was increased from 21% to 23% and it had no effect on demand for those sugary drinks.

Fight!

*wobble*

Fight Obesity Through Education And Exercise, Not With Another Tax (Eamon Delaney, Hibernia Forum)

paddy

The Evening Telegraph, April 8. 1902

Meet Paddy.

Dublin’s can-carrying Kerry Blue.

Sibling of Daedalus writes:

Kerry Blue Terriers were the favourite dog of General Michael Collins and perhaps he was influenced in his choice by Paddy, the famous Edwardian Dublin terrier, whose defiance of British-imposed licensing laws featured in a number of national and international papers in the Spring of 1902.

The previous year the Child Messenger Act 1901 – following on earlier legislation of 1872 and 1886 which prohibited the consumption of spirits and other alcoholic drinks by persons under 16 and 13 respectively – had prohibited the well-established – and often financially lucrative – practice of children collecting drink for adults from public houses.

Paddy’s young owner – not wanting to lose his profitable delivery service – decided to take advantage of the absence of any similar prohibition on dogs and train his ‘remarkably intelligent’ pet to carry out the work for him instead.

The method, as outlined by the Northants Evening Telegraph, which carried the above sketch of dog and master, was as follows:

“When twopence is put into a can off runs Paddy to the nearest licensed house, enters it, and shakes the can so that the vintner may hear the jingle of the money. The twopence is taken out, the can filled with porter, and off starts Paddy to his home, carrying the can in his mouth.”

With Chompsky on the staff, perhaps this scheme might also prove useful for the Broadsheet morning pints coffee?

Hic.

Tales of Old Dublin

delaney

Over the past number of weeks, the Olympic Council of Ireland Rio Olympics ticketing issue has dominated the headlines and a number of serious allegations were made by a section of the Irish media suggesting involvement and wrong doing on my behalf. These allegations arose out of events in Brazil, in particular the issuing of a warrant against my passport by the Brazilian authorities.

As everyone should now be aware, this warrant was subsequently withdrawn, 10 days ago. In fact, the Brazilian police have never made any contact with me in relation to this issue.

When the issue of the warrant was first publicised in Brazil, certain media outlets took the opportunity to make the most serious and defamatory allegations against me.

My role as CEO of the FAI, it seemed, led to a significantly prominent positioning of this inaccurate and high profile reporting. These matters are now in the hands of my legal advisers and so I cannot comment further on them other than to confirm that I had no knowledge of or involvement in anything to do with tickets for the Rio games…..(more at link below)…

John Delaney, CEO of the Football Association of Ireland

Family fight!

CEO Message To Football Family (FAI)

OCI vice-president John Delaney issues lengthy statement on alleged Rio ticketing scandal (Independent.ie)

Screenshot: FAI

Broadsheet.ie