Half of adolescents drink an average of 90 sugar cubes every week

The study was conducted by Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, GGD Amsterdam, and Ipsos I&O. The high level of consumption is worrying. Adolescents consider drinking sugary drinks normal, while large amounts increase the risk of overweight, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. One in seven children is already overweight or obese. GGD Amsterdam and De Gezonde Generatie are urgently calling for robust prevention policies and, as a first step, the adoption of a smart sugar tax on sugary drinks.

Home environment and price influence consumption
The research, published in BMC Public Health, shows that the environment primarily determines how much sugary drinks adolescents consume. They are inexpensive, widely available, and highly visible: at home and at school, and through promotions and advertising. The home environment also has an influence. In families where sugary drinks are always available at home, adolescents drink eleven more glasses per week than adolescents where it is never available at home. These factors lead to very high sugar intake: adolescentswho consume a lot of these drinks consume ninety sugar cubes per week through this alone, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends a maximum of forty-two sugar cubes per week*.

Adolescents are remarkably clear about what would help them drink fewer sugary drinks. 85 percent say they would stop buying them if the price exceeded €3.00. The WHO emphasises that a price increase is an effective measure to influence behaviour and promote health.

Price incentives most effective among high school students
Supermarkets also appear to play a key role: it's the primary place where adolescents buy these drinks and where price incentives are most effective. Rian Pepping, health scientist at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, explains: "This research shows that price and availability play an important role in adolescents’drink choices. If we want to give adolescents a fair chance at healthy growth, we need to restructure the environment and stop emphasizing individual responsibility.’’

The study shows that starting secondary school is a key turning point. In the first year, adolescents on average drink fewer sugary drinks; afterward, consumption increases, and unhealthy habits become commonplace. This may be related to the fact that adolescents in this phase have more money to spend and go to the supermarket independently. Especially in pre-vocational secondary education (VMBO), adolescents on average drink more sugary drinks than those in other educational settings, while overweight and obesity are more common in this group. Price incentives can therefore be an impactful measure to increase the likelihood of good health, especially in this group.

Call to the House of Representatives: Adopt the smart sugar tax as a first step
The coalition agreement calls for the introduction of a levy based on the sugar content of food and drinks by 2030. De Gezonde Generatie, a collaboration of twenty-three health funds, is urging politicians to take the first step now: the smart sugar tax on sugary drinks. This would mean a law in place by 2027 that encourages producers to produce healthier drinks so that consumers have affordable, healthier choices. This will reduce the sales of sugary drinks, lower the sugar content in drinks, and allow the proceeds from the smart sugar tax to be used directly for other preventive measures.

More than a hundred countries worldwide have implemented a sugar tax. Diena Halbertsma, spokesperson for the Healthy Generation, said: "If we want our children to grow up healthy, this is the time to take action. Adolescents are asking for help themselves: make sugary drinks more expensive, and we'll buy less. The House of Representatives now has the opportunity to take that call seriously and opt for a smart sugar tax."