Dispensary Corner 14 Jul 15
July 14, 2015
Fizzy drinks may become
significantly more expensive in
Britain shortly, after UK doctors
urged the impost of a 20% tax on
sugary beverages.
The British Medical Association
said the initiative would help fight
the burgeoning obesity epidemic,
with poor diets estimated to
contribute to as many as 70,000
premature deaths annually - not
to mention chronic ailments such
as type 2 diabetes and poor teeth,
according to the BBC.
Money raised should be used
to subsidise the cost of fresh fruit
and vegetables, the BMA said in a
new Food for Thought report.
A 300mL can of soda contains up
to nine teaspoons of sugar, with
a similar drinks tax introduced
in Mexico having been shown to
reduce consumption, the report
concluded.
And also in Britain, social media
giant Twitter has been forced to
remove some “irresponsible”
online advertisements after
complaints from an epilepsy
charity group.
Two short videos uploaded
by Twitter featured a rapid
succession of flashing colours,
with Epilepsy Action saying the
ads could trigger an attack in
people living with photosensitive
epilepsy - suffered by an
estimated 1 in 3,500 people.
Twitter immediately removed
the advertisements once it was
made aware of the issue.
Epilepsy Action said 87 people
were diagnosed with the
condition every day and “that first
seizure can often come out of
nowhere,” the BBC reported.
In 1997 more than 600 Japanese
children were hospitalised with
convulsions after watching a
cartoon episode of Pokemon
in which a monster repeatedly
flashed his eyes.
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