Poll results
Should unhealthy foods be taxed more?
Support
Reject
Don't know
PolitPro Community – 3756 respondents – 10.11.2023-17.11.2023
Poll information
Should unhealthy foods be taxed more? 47% voted for higher taxation of unhealthy foods, 49% voted against.
:undecided% chose the answer "Don't know". The survey was conducted among 3756 users of the PolitPro app during 10.11.2023-17.11.2023. The results are not representative, but may give a rough idea of the political mood around the issue.
Pros - What's in favor?
- Promote healthy eating: higher taxation of unhealthy foods can help reduce consumption of unhealthy products and motivate people to choose healthier alternatives. Making unhealthy foods more expensive could create incentives to make healthier choices and improve the long-term health of the population.
- Cost to the health care system: overconsumption of unhealthy foods leads to diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. These diseases place a significant burden and cost on the health care system. Increased taxation of unhealthy foods could reduce spending on treating these diseases and reduce the financial burden on the health care system.
- Steering effect on the food industry: higher taxation of unhealthy foods could lead the food industry to expand its supply of healthier products. Companies could be given increased incentives to develop and market healthier alternatives to avoid the higher taxes. This could shift the supply in the marketplace in general toward healthier options.
Cons - What's against it?
- Social injustice: higher taxes on unhealthy foods could place a greater burden on socially disadvantaged groups. Often, unhealthy foods are less expensive than healthy alternatives. Additional taxation could affect low-income people more and make it more difficult for them to afford healthy foods. This could lead to a further gap in food security.
- Freedom of individual choices: Increased taxation of unhealthy foods can be seen as an interference with personal freedom and the right to make individual choices. Everyone should have the freedom to decide for themselves what foods they consume, independent of government intervention. Taxation could be perceived as patronizing and limit consumer choice.
- Difficulty in defining "unhealthy" foods: It may be difficult to establish clear criteria for what foods are considered "unhealthy" and therefore should be taxed more heavily. There are a variety of factors that affect the healthfulness of a food, and it could be difficult to establish objective standards for taxation. This could lead to uncertainty and possibly arbitrary decisions.