BASSETERRE, St. Kitts — WITH the St. Kitts Diabetes Association (SKDA) observing an alarming rise in diabetes diagnoses across the Federation, the debate is intensifying over whether the government should impose higher taxes on sugary beverages and foods to help combat the issue.
Public Relations Officer of the SKDA, Dr. Reginald O’Loughlin over the years, expressed concern about the growing trend, including the increase in children presenting borderline diabetic symptoms. During an interview with SKNVibes News, Dr. O’Loughlin emphasized that the SKDA, as a non-governmental organization, is limited to making recommendations to the government rather than enacting legislation.
“We can make recommendations," Dr. O’Loughlin stated. "And over the years, since I've been associated with the entity, we have had interactions with different cabinets where we had suggested, you know, coming from suggestions at the international level, looking at SSBs, sugar-sweetened beverages. Some countries like Barbados have pushed ahead and have introduced legislation."
Despite these proposals, the decision ultimately rests with legislators. The urgency of the matter is underscored by rising cases of diabetes-related complications, including kidney failure and vision problems, which burden the healthcare system with high treatment costs.
Dr. O’Loughlin advocated for taxing sugary products as both a deterrent and a means of generating funds to support healthcare services. “So if you can get people to take the advice and cut down on the ingestion and the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and other sweetened stuff, then you put a heavier tax, so at least we have some money put aside to be able to treat when those complications, you know, come down on us.” he noted.
He further stressed that taxation on SSBs could act as a preventive and financial measure to alleviate the growing healthcare costs in the Federation. “So having that little piggy bank put aside coming out of the taxation on sugar-sweetened beverages would make a lot of sense to us, but like I say, we're not legislators and we can only hope and we can only suggest. And like I said, that is definitely on the table at the international level, at the regional level,” Dr. O’Loughlin concluded.
As discussions around this issue continue, public health advocates and the SKDA remain hopeful that the government will take decisive action to address the diabetes epidemic and its associated economic burdens.