One of my favourite songs is I Want Some Sugar in My Bowl, a sultry song sung by Nina Simone. This song reminds me that humans cannot live without sweet indulgences in life, because we need sweetness deep down in our souls.

But we all know that too much of any indulgence is not good. Too much of the sweet is bad for your waistline and your body. It might bring you diabetes, and that can ruin your heart, literally.

Thus, I have been trying to cut down on sugar and sweetness in my food. But my sugarless morning coffee is hardly helpful to my weight-reduction project because sugar, for me, operates like a sweet taboo, a temptation hard to resist.

I always surrender to cold and sweet beverages, such as Thai-style milky tea, that Ceylon orange milky tea, freshly prepared, sweetened with two tablespoons of condensed milk and at least one tablespoon of sugar, served with crushed ice.

So you see, I am powerless when it comes to sugar. I need some forceful intervention to remove sugar from my bowl.

So, I wholeheartedly praise the Thai military government for proposing to raise taxes on beverages with a high sugar content. It is hoped the tax will increase prices and make consumers think twice. It should encourage production companies to reduce the amount of sugar in their products.

The tax increment, starting from 20 per cent for beverages with a sugar content of 6g to 10g per millilitre, and 25 per cent for beverages with a sugar content higher than 10g, is expected to bring in an additional 10 billion baht (S$385 million) in state revenue.

We might wonder whether the increase of a few baht will deter consumers. But I believe most of us agree that something needs to be done, and as soon as possible. Thailand ranks ninth in the world in sugar consumption. According to Mahidol University, Thais consume 23 to 24 teaspoons of sugar a day, which far exceeds the acceptable consumption rate of about 6 spoonfuls (100g) per day.

This tax legislation has been well received. Mr Tan Passakornnatee, the billionaire beverage tycoon, said he welcomed the tax policy, and his company will work on cutting down sugar content in its products. But Mr Tan raises a valid question: What is the government going to do with the annual 10 billion baht revenue?

I am not a fan of his products, not to mention his marketing campaigns. Yet I agree with his idea that the war against sweet beverages needs more than extra taxes. It needs a more coherent strategy, backup and vision.

So what is the first battlefield? My answer is, and always will be, our schools.

More liberal minds might argue that any ban will create a backlash that will give overly sweet beverages a sexy and rebellious image. But schools, and especially family environments, should be places that set a high bar on healthy eating; anything less is not acceptable. We may not be able to prevent kids from walking into convenience stores or junk food shops and gulping down sickly sweet beverages. But we can provide the young generation with first-hand experience: There is a place in which humans live and survive by drinking only plain water.

We also need better public education campaigns to teach people how to eat healthily, and also better labelling systems that let us know right away how much sugar content is in food and drink, and whether the content exceeds recommended standards.

The good news is that the Thai Ministry of Health and Mahidol University are working together on food and beverage labels to be introduced in August, according to Dr Wantanee Kriengsinyos, a nutrition expert at the university. The so-called “Healthier Label” will be given to food and beverages with appropriate nutrient values, or, in this case, drinks with sugar content of less than 6 per cent.

The label will be voluntary. But it is a good start. For Dr Wantanee, the challenge is not about cutting down the amount of sugar, but providing better and more accessible alternatives.

Taxes might deter consumers from buying overly sweet beverages. But the next question is: What alternatives can consumers turn to when all around them are convenience stores hawking sugar-laden food and drinks?

So, instead of collecting tax, the Thai government should also spend money on making healthier choices such as fruits and vegetables, in particular from community organic farms, more accessible.

We all need sugar and sweet indulgences in our lives. But we might surrender to sense if the government does more to bring fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables to our tables. BANGKOK POST

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Anchalee Kongrut is a writer for Bangkok Post’s Life section.