APPENDIX 14
Memorandum from the Chief Dental Officer,
Health Department
Soft drinks are a major issue for oral health.
The average sugar content of the canned cola-type drinks varies
from six to eight teaspoons of sugar. In addition they offer a
highly acidic drink due to the carbonation process. The resultant
drink is perfectly designed to either rot or erode teeth.
In addition we are aware of a range of constituents
which are associated with these drinks or which contribute to
the drinks becoming addictive. Additional material such as caffeine
are especially used to encourage regular use of these products.
These drinks now constitute one of the main sources of drinks
for children and are being used by younger and younger children,
as young as one to two years of age.
The main issues are, their high sugar content,
their acidic content, their regular use and their advertisement
to children in schools and public places ie. they are easily available
through machines which are bright and attractive with a total
lack of any warning about damage to health. I use the word "health"
rather than "teeth" because I consider that teeth are
part of your body and therefore we should be talking about health
being damaged and not specifically teeth.
Chief Dental Officer
January 2001
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