Should Australia tax sugar‐sweetened beverages?

Yes, The Government Should Tax Soft Drinks: Findings from a Citizens’ Jury in Australia

Taxation has been suggested as a possible preventive strategy to address the serious public health concern of childhood obesity. Understanding the public's viewpoint on the potential role of taxation is vital to inform policy decisions if they are to be acceptable to the wider community. A Citizens' Jury is a deliberative method for engaging the public in decision making and can assist in setti...

Should We Broaden the Fuel Tax Base?

Should we tax unhealthy food and drink?

The global burden of obesity leads to significant morbidity and has major economic implications. In April 2018, Britain will join a growing number of countries attempting to tackle this using fiscal measures when the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy is introduced. We review recent evidence from natural experiments of the impact of health-related food and drink taxes on consumer behaviour, and discu...

Should Australia consider opt-out HIV testing?

In 2012 and 2013, Australia had the highest incidence of HIV diagnoses in 20 years. 1 While there is no imminent threat of a generalised epidemic in Australia, the recent increase in HIV diagnoses reflects changing infection patterns that warrant an exploration of current testing practices. Opt-out HIV testing could decrease the number of undiagnosed infections and provide for timely connection...

Should Australia develop primary care research networks?

Primary care research networks have emerged in other countries over the past decade. Rigorous data to determine the level of their achievement are lacking. Research networks are a part of the current Australian primary healthcare research capacity building program, yet we have no systematic approach to their introduction. Australian networks should build upon international experience and should...