Dutch teenagers aged 12 to 16 drink an average of 9.5 glasses of sugary drinks per week. Over half (51.7%) even drink 16.5 glasses per week, equivalent to about 90 sugar cubes, according to a study by the GGD Amsterdam, the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, and Ipsos I&O. The researchers warned of the health risks associated with high sugar consumption and advocate for a sugar tax that increases with the amount of sugar a product contains.

Consuming large amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, the municipal health service GGD pointed out. Teenagers consuming 90 sugar cubes per week in their drinks alone already consume more sugar than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends.

According to the strictest WHO recommendation, a 12-year-old girl with a moderately active lifestyle should not consume more than 44 sugar cubes per week through food and drink combined. For a 16-year-old boy with a very active lifestyle, the maximum is 79 sugar cubes per week.

The researchers surveyed a representative group of 839 Dutch teens aged 12 and 16 on their intake of sugary drinks – soft drinks, sports drinks, ice teas, fruit juices, and energy drinks that fall under the heading of soft drinks.

They found that 72.6 percent of Dutch teenagers consider drinking these sugary drinks to be “normal.” They also found that availability at home increases the odds that a teenager will drink a lot of sugary drinks and also spend money on them. Teenagers with sugary drinks available at home are 14 times more likely to be high consumers.

Teenagers primarily buy their sugary drinks at the supermarket. Nearly half (49.7 percent) said that higher prices would reduce their consumption. 85 percent said they wouldn’t buy soft drinks if the price increases to over €3 per drink. The researchers, therefore, see great promise in increasing the price of these drinks.

The Jetten I Cabinet plans to implement a sugar tax by 2030. The researchers advocate for immediate additional taxes on sugary drinks. They also want the amount of sugar in the drink to determine the tax rate – more sugar, higher tax.