Should pop be regulated like alcohol and tobacco?

Sugar is so toxic that it should be regulated like alcohol and tobacco, some U.S. researchers argue in a commentary published in the science journal Nature Wednesday.

It has been suggested that sales of sugary foods and drinks be limited during the school day. (iStock)Doctors from the University of California, San Francisco, say that rising global rates of major killers such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes are caused by excess sugar consumption.

"We recognize that societal intervention to reduce the supply and demand for sugar faces an uphill political battle against a powerful sugar lobby," they wrote.

The researchers said sugar meets four criteria for regulation that are largely accepted by public health experts and that were first applied to alcohol:

• Pervasiveness in society.
• Toxicity.
• Potential for abuse.
• Negative impact on society.

They suggest that, like alcohol, sales of drinks with added sugar should be limited to people older than a designated age.

Is an age limit on pop and other sugary drinks a good idea? Let us know what you think.



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