Nowadays, dentists have many patients in Hong Kong everyday. Most of their patients・ teeth decay because they eat too much sweet. Many children eat too much sweet so they become overweight. Therefore, sweet seems to be harmful people・s health. The government decides to establish a policy, tax on sweet, to protect our health by depressing people・s desire in buying sweet. At the same time the government can get more taxes. However, some other people think that the policy should not established.
It is obvious that there will be a hazard for the sweet industry. Some representatives of large sweet industry claim that they strongly oppose the policy because if there is a tax on sweet, they will lose a lot of customer and so make much less profit. Then they may have to lay off the labours or shut down. The rate of unemployment will rise leading to economy in Hong Kong further decline. On the other hand, it is hardly fair to them. In fact, many other kinds of food such as potato chips also contain lots of fat, these can also cause obesity, and soft drink contains much sugar and acid can easily cause toothache.
Moreover, the aim of this policy may not be achieved as the government predict. Rich people will still buy the sweet when they want to buy. It is because price is not the point they will consider when they are shopping. Therefore, will this policy only protect the poor? No! People who like eating sweets often like other snack at the same time. When they do not want to buy the expensive sweets, they will target on other unhealthy snack. The problem will still exist.
Actually, sweets are not as unhealthy as people imagine. Some sweets contain vitamin C, which is a necessary nutrient for human everyday. Some of them are sugar free. They do not cause the tooth decay and obesity. And some other even have functions of protecting the teeth. There is no need to have a tax on those ．health・ sweets. In addition, sweet is not the only reason for toothache and obesity. People who like eating sweets should brush their teeth frequently. Also, they should be aware of the drawbacks of eating too much sweet.
Therefore, I think the government should pay more attention on educating citizens rather than tax on sweet. Government should teach them about the disadvantages of eating too much sweet. Parents of children should not make their children stop crying with sweets. They should make their children brush their teeth at least twice a day and bring them outside the house to do aerobic exercise regularly. This will be more efficient than using taxes to make them stop buying the sweets compulsorily.
