The ADAs Monitoring oral health in adults shows that almost a third of Australian adults suffer from tooth decay, an increase of almost 7% between 2004-06 and 2017-18.
The number of Australian children included in the data for potentially preventable hospital admissions due to dental disease has also continued to increase.
According to Dr Davis this is an issue which has been directly addressed with the introduction of a charge in the UK, which has led to a 12% reduction in hospital admissions for the removal of decayed teeth in children.
“As long as our Government delays, Australia will remain behind the more than 100 countries around the world that have taken steps to combat sugar consumption through sugary drinks,” Dr Davis said.
The Grattan Institute report finds that popular soft drinks contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar in just one 375ml can.
“This is almost the entire recommended maximum daily intake of sugar for an adult,” the report states.
As well as the UK, taxes on sugary drinks have also been introduced in France, Portugal and Mexico.
The Grattan Institute has recommended that Australia introduce a tiered tax targeting drinks containing the most sugar, with a maximum rate of 60 cents per litre, and no tax on low-sugar drinks.
The report states: “Modeling from the Grattan Institute shows that our proposed tax would reduce consumption of drinks with the highest sugar by around 275 million liters per year, or the volume of 110 Olympic swimming pools.
“The average Australian would drink almost three quarters of a kilogram less sugar each year.
“The tax is about health, not revenue, but it would still give the federal government half a billion dollars more in the first year.”
