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Majority of people believe Ireland should bring in a sugar tax

54% of people in Ireland want to see the tax introduced.

A SUGAR TAX is expected to be announced by Michael Noonan in this Tuesday’s budget, a revenue-raising exercise and a response to the growing problem of obesity in Ireland.

And, according to the latest Claire Byrne Live/Amárach poll for TheJournal.ie, it will be a move welcomed by a majority across the country.

Asked whether Ireland should bring in a tax on fizzy drinks, 54% of the 1,000 respondents said Yes.

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Noonan has already signalled that the levy will not be introduced until at least 2018 in order to bring it onto the same timeline as a similar charge planned in the UK.

Health authorities and officials have been making calls for a tax on all sugar-sweetened drinks (SSDs) for years, with the Royal College of Physicians warning in 2015 that Ireland could become the fattest country in Europe by 2030 if urgent action isn’t taken.

The past two Ministers of Health have also urged the Finance Minister to introduce the measure.

Last month, an exposé of decades-old documents revealed that the sugar industry began funding research to play down sugar’s role in heart disease as early as the 1960s. It did so by shifting the blame and getting scientists to point the finger at cholesterol and saturated fat – without disclosing connections with or funding from the sugar industry.

In an editorial, New York University professor of nutrition Marion Nestle has noted that for decades following the study, scientists and health officials focused on reducing saturated fat, not sugar, to prevent heart disease.

While scientists are still working to understand links between diet and heart disease, concern has shifted in recent years to sugars, and away from fat, Nestle added.

The UK’s tax will be on drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml. Coca-Cola contains 10.6g of sugar per 100ml – that’s 35g in a 330ml can (equivalent of 7 teaspoons).

It is not yet known what the Irish equivalent will be worked out as.

There has been strong opposition to the tax from the food and drinks industry, which says a tax will not be effective as a public health policy to tackle obesity.

Recently, TheJournal.ie‘s Factcheck found that:

  • There is some evidence that the tax precedes a moderate decrease in consumption, but also that this effect tends to fade quite quickly
  • There is no significant evidence that sugar taxes cut body mass index (BMI), or rates of obesity, diabetes or heart disease, but there is evidence that they have not achieved such desired and promised public health gains
  • However, most sugary drinks taxes were implemented quite recently, and subsequent research may yield different results as the effects of the taxes develop.

Opinion: As someone who was 27 stone at the age of 21, we need more than a sugar tax to fix obesity

More: How the sugar-trafficking food industry paid scientists to tell us fat, not sugar, was the real problem

FactCheck: Do taxes on sugary drinks actually work?

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70 Comments
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    Mute Karl Haycock
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    Oct 9th 2016, 6:51 AM

    How about this for a genius solution; lower the cost of fruit and veg. Make healthy options more readily available to everyone!

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    Mute Celtic_Horizon
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:23 AM

    That would be too easy

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    Mute Neal not Neil
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:26 AM

    Fruot and veg is already cheap. You can get a pack of seeds for a few cents.

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    Mute Ed Magnier
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:45 AM

    @Karl Haycock: Fruit and Veg are pretty cheap in Ireland aren’t they? In the States the problem is that crappy food is much cheaper than fruit and veg. I don’t think we have the same problem here.In lidl right now you can get a bag of spuds for 39 cents, Of course if the Americans stopped subsidising the corn industry the price of things like coke would rise significantly.

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:30 AM

    @Karl Haycock: Hmmm, and how might we lower the price of veg? Perhaps with a sugar tax maybe?

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    Mute Derek
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:32 AM

    And we are charged €3.50 for a small 250ml bottle of non-concentrated orange juice in most shops, too easy to just choose Coke or Lucosade when faced with those prices.

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    Mute Patrick J. O'Rourke
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    Oct 9th 2016, 12:17 PM

    Considering what you pay for fruit and veg in the German supermarkets it wouldn’t seem to be the issue. It’s a lot cheaper than it was 20 years ago. It’s just down to education. My kids eat tons of fruit, as in buckets of it, but will still try to demand sugary things. It’s an issue for parents to deal with.

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    Mute sam 987123
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:31 AM

    1000 people = majority of country. Good to know.

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    Mute Conor Heffernan
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:03 AM

    Such nonsense

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:28 AM

    @sam 987123: That would be how polls work.

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    Mute Cosmo Kramer
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    Oct 9th 2016, 1:14 PM

    How about a saturated fat tax? That’s as bad for you as sugar but somehow I don’t think our Government TD’s would even consider taxing bacon, steak or milk..

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    Mute Irving Chubbie
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    Oct 9th 2016, 5:18 PM

    @sam 987123:
    Maybe there should be a “thick” tax. The majority seem to be very thick.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Oct 9th 2016, 5:25 PM

    This is just another tax they can increase in every budget.

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    Mute Anthony Walsh
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:36 AM

    To eat healthy you pay more… Some people just don’t have the money..

    This is just another tax for the government that will be spent elsewhere..

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    Mute Niallers
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:57 AM

    Anthony. That’s not true. Fruit and vegetables in Aldi/Lidl are very cheap. Vat is 0% on food. Processed crap food is expensive. Every child should be thought home economics in School . Some people are either not able to cook or too lazy to cook.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:03 AM

    It’s nothing to do with money. Nobody sitting watching a movie thinks, yes I’ll have an apple. Nobody throwing a party for the kids thinks you know what will make this party great a salad. And when having a BBQ nobody thinks sure forget about the burgers and sausages, I’m cooking carrots and broccoli

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    Mute Michael McLoughlin
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:12 AM

    You don’t make friends with salad :)

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    Mute Anthony Walsh
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:15 AM

    Niall I do the the family shop every week in Lidl.i buy the raspberries and blueberries strawberries etc etc.. cost over 20€ alone. These are necessities for me and my kids!! But 20€ is a lot to some families. If money is tight u will go for the cheaper options.. unhealthy options.

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    Mute Free comment ratings
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:09 AM

    Ohhhh the expensive fruit.

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    Mute Derek Moran
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:19 AM

    Well one nice thing we do is get loads of different veg mix it with peanut satay sauce and throw it in bbq. Delicious. Maybe a few bits of chicken with it as well.

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    Mute Ed Magnier
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:46 AM

    @Anthony Walsh: Thats true in the State, not here.

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    Mute Ed Magnier
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:47 AM

    @Anthony Walsh: Berries are expensive everywhere. Are they really a necessity?

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    Mute Wynnner
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:02 AM

    I eat applies while watching Netflix pears too, bit partial to a banana or two as well, strawberries when I have the cash.

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    Mute Val Martin
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:12 AM

    Sugar can be easily synthesized, take starch and add water and yeast. Sugar in 2 days. add co2 and off you go

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    Mute Daz
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:15 AM

    Sugar tax lifehack – buy Coke Zero, go home and spoon 10 teaspoons of sugar into it. You’re welcome.

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    Mute O-'Seán
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:37 AM

    @Daz: then you still get all those awful carcinogens. People who are losing weight and drinking diet sodas along the way are misled the diet ones are poison

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    Mute John M
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:02 AM

    I think you missed the joke there…

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:24 AM

    Sugar is in everything everything except salt and water where is this not exercising tax going to stop they already have vat.

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    Mute Ron
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:57 AM

    Why don’t we educate our kids how to eat clean?

    32
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    Mute Roy Dowling
    Favourite Roy Dowling
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:00 AM

    Cause that doesn’t make the government money

    49
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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:24 AM

    Why don’t we educate but also support parents. What’s the point in taxing sugar when we have vending machines in schools stocked with Coke.

    It’s all about money. Money to be made putting a vending machine in a school and money to be made by taxing it.

    Hypocrisy.

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:33 AM

    @Ron: That’s a very good question Ron, why don’t we?

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    Mute Willy
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:38 AM

    Guess I’m just 1 who believes this tax is another bankers tax and has no reason.. Educate , period…

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    Mute Ronan Sexton
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:54 AM

    More complete and utter lies. The majority of people see this as simply another scam disguised as being concern for a health problem. Utter lies and nonsense. Who in their right mind is in favour of another scam tax? You’re fooling nobody with this drivel. The public have woken up to the widescale corruption and constant stupidity of the Irish government.

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    Mute Polly Dolan
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:01 AM

    Please please please I want to pay more tax! Get a grip.

    30
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    Mute Daz
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:20 AM

    Wonder will the skinny coke drinkers march on the Dail in protest? Wouldn’t a weight tax be more of a deterrent than a sugar tax? For every lb over 20 stone you are, you’re charged €1 a month. Job done. We could eat and drink whatever we want then.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:59 AM

    You have a point I drink roughly 3 litres off coke a day, I’m 6 foot and weigh in at 12stone 9pound. I hardly my coke like a champion

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    Mute Mickey Finn
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:12 AM

    How about punishing parents of fat kids.

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    Mute Derek Richardson
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:12 AM

    Some one has to sugar the gravy so the can pay themselves the 7thous sweeteners every year and keep their index pensions afloat

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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:51 AM

    As adults we need to rethink everything. We don’t have to have a salad for a kids birthday party. We can have burgers but some burgers are better than others. It’s about taking an interest in food and an interest in your kids.

    It’s not enough to have a party but we have to overdose on junk to the point that kids feel sick.
    Then when the kids are leaving we must give them a goodie bag full of junk.
    What’s that all about?

    Why are the kids menu in a restaurant have all the junk food? Why don’t we treat kids as small adults and not another species?

    I’ll have grilled plaice with steamed vegetables while the kids will have chicken nuggets and chips.

    We are letting our children down.

    21
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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:55 AM

    Eating salad is poison to most kid ,anyway where the celebration if it ain’t got sugar

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    Mute Wynnner
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:06 AM

    It’s about showing kids whats nice, my kids love wraps takeaway is once a week if done in moderation it’s a Ying yang situation

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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Oct 9th 2016, 3:13 PM

    Gerard
    You don’t need sugar to make something enjoyable, certainly not much sugar.
    You only need sugar when you have a sugar induced craving for it.

    I don’t smoke. Am I missing out on that smokers joy at having a fag break?
    Absolutely not.

    3
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    Mute Wynnner
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:10 AM

    Personally when I hear sugar tax the only thing I hear is Tax, over the last 8 yrs there has been more stealth tax after another and I for one is pissed about the amount of stealth taxes.

    14
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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:21 AM

    Roy
    If you drink 3 litres of Coke a day you are setting yourself up for diabetes.
    You are taking about 40 teaspoons of sugar per day in that alone.

    You need to educate yourself about what you are doing to your body.

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:40 AM

    @ Tom, if anything happens to my body as a result of my diet. I shall take full responsibility for it. I won’t go blaming others for my actions.

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:29 AM

    @Roy Dowling: really? You won’t use the public health system at all?

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    Mute Roy Dowling
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:41 AM

    @ Dublin living, last I checked people hat to paid to use the public health system and they pay for there medicine. So I’ll be responsible for paying my own way, and how is using the health system blaming others?????

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    Mute John Reese
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:03 AM

    Why should I pay for lazy fat people’s bad eating habits…there I said it…how un PC of me

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:10 AM

    @John Reese: Who says they are lazy as most over 50 are fat as you could be as well by that age?

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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Oct 9th 2016, 1:26 PM

    John
    It’s not just lazy people.
    You buy Allen original and the ba$tards have added sugar.

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    Mute Eoin
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:40 AM

    Oh grate yeah another tax

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    Mute Frantz Harband
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    Oct 9th 2016, 8:42 AM

    You can buy healthy food with a small budget,buy smart,buy in season. No need for fizzy drinks at home.

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    Mute saoirse janneau
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    Oct 9th 2016, 9:17 AM

    Tax all processed food. The difference between the 80′s and now is the availability of convenience food. Sugar tax goes nowhere near addressing what is an epidemic. Weve gone from the skinniest nation to the fattest in almost in 30 years.

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    Mute Science of beer
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:15 AM

    This article is tripe

    7
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    Mute Roy O Keeffe
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:28 AM

    Tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax tax seriously will they ever stop

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    Mute Tom Burke
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:44 AM

    Why not tax the producers of the junk?
    Why not work with parents and help them by taking vending machines out of schools.

    I went to the cinema recently and they had no healthy options. Bags of sweets were jumbo bags which I told them I wasn’t going to buy.

    I bought them in the local shop and they were much cheaper.
    I told the manager and told him he just lost a sake.

    7
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    Mute John McCole
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    Oct 9th 2016, 10:54 AM

    A complete red herring.Just another wheeze dreamed up by the austerity mob and let the mugs pay for it.

    6
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    Mute Mick Kavanagh
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    Oct 9th 2016, 12:03 PM

    So the government have kids learning in pre fabs in winter, over sized class rooms, college fees gone threw the roof and grants gone, no job when ye leave school ye might have to emigrate, they took every penny off your parents so they couldn’t save for your future and don’t forget the parents that couldn’t afford to put the the heating on or petrol in the car before school or to bring you to school but seriously there worried sick about you having that glass off lemonade the weekend

    6
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    Mute O-'Seán
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    Oct 9th 2016, 7:35 AM

    Naive

    6
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    Mute Charles Coughlan
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    Oct 9th 2016, 1:57 PM

    More taxes please, needed to fund the massive €6500 annual increase in TD’s wages

    5
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    Mute David Cullen
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:28 AM

    the other half think fat people should eat less

    5
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    Mute Dave Norberg
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    Oct 9th 2016, 1:22 PM

    Instead of yet another filthy tax, why not lower the VAT to 13.5% on healthy food products? This country needs to learn to incentivise instead of penalise.

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    Mute Ariana
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    Oct 9th 2016, 3:37 PM

    The VAT on healthy food and many unhealthy foods is already 0% and has been for decades.

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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:08 AM

    Why? Sugar is in everything and that will mean the price of groceries will go through the roof then?
    Are people too stupid to read the ingredients of food before buying them, how does diabetics deal with sugar in food?
    It is a minefield for diabetics because sugar is in EVERYTHING or do people not know that?

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    Mute Mick Kavanagh
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    Oct 9th 2016, 12:09 PM

    But its only a tax in fizzy drinks which is why the soft drink company’s are complaining because there’s more sugar in some yougarts,coffees,cakes,sweets etc.

    4
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    Mute Alois Irlmaier
    Favourite Alois Irlmaier
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:09 AM

    Next week, Euthanasia? Is it a way to cure the HSE problem with beds. A joke but sometimes people can be as thick as 2 short planks?

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    Mute Tara Dowling
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    Oct 9th 2016, 6:40 PM

    I don’t agree with it at all. If the bloke across the road wants to stuff himself with cakes all day that’s his lookout. Why should I have to pay extra because of it? It’s up to each individual how much sugar they consume, this is just another way to take money out of our pockets.

    2
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    Mute Pol Ó Brádaigh
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    Oct 9th 2016, 11:59 AM

    Government push flawed high carbohydrate/sugar diet then tax those most vulnerable

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    Mute Donal O'Halloran
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    Oct 10th 2016, 12:44 AM

    Please leave us alone stop

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