One of the ongoing goals of the Australian Dental Association since its inception has been "to encourage the improvement of the oral and general health of the public", a far-reaching commitment which has seen Australia's peak body for dentists undertake a range of initiatives to get Australian to rethink how sugar they have in their diet, including:
- a policy position, enshrined in the ADA's Australian Dental Health Plan, that proposes that government funding of oral care delivery programs should be supported through a tax on the consumption of sugar
- partnerships with groups like Rethink Sugary Drink, which campaigns for a tax on sugary drinks and stages yearly campaigns to encourage Australians to stop or limit sugar drinks, and;
- major promotional campaigns such as Dental Health Week which features preventative oral health messaging, and which had a particular focus on curbing sugar consumption in 2020.
The launch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA's) #SicklySweet campaign, which aims "to educate Australians about the health risks of drinking sugar-laden drinks", is a welcome boost to sugary-drink advocacy efforts as it asks young Australians to think about much sugar they have in their diet, especially in the form of soft drinks.
Noting that Australians drink at least 2.4 billion litres of sugary drinks every year, "a ticking time bomb for the nation's health", AMA President Dr Omar Khorshid says that while "Sugary drinks used to be a special treat ... they're now an every-day product, bringing addiction, and major health problems."
While the #SicklySweet campaign places a necessary focus on obesity and preventable diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and some cancers, the ADA's Oral Health Promoter and dentist, Dr Mikaela Chinotti, underscores that "sugary drinks are a large contributor to dental problems such as tooth decay and tooth erosion."
Both Dr Chinotti and the AMA note that each 375ml can of soft drink contains eight to 12 teaspoons of sugar, taking them well in excess of the World Health Organization's recommendation for the average adult to consumer six or less teaspoons (24g) of free sugar per day for better health outcomes and to decrease the risk of tooth decay.
Both the ADA and the AMA back a sugar tax which the two organisations believe, in the words of the AMA, would send "a clear signal to consumers that these drinks are bad for you", with "the overseas experience shows when a tax is placed on sugary drinks there are clear health benefits."
More details on the #SicklySweet campaign can be found at sicklysweet.com.au while the ADA's newly launched oral health information site, Teeth.org.au contains a wealth of resources on sugary drinks and sugar intake.
