The consumers voted…now protect them
Dear Editor,
A new Government after an election brings with it much uncertainty. Yet, with the official results now in, it is clear that the people have given a vote of confidence to the Andrew Holness-led Administration. In some sense, it is the opportunity to continue the positive results for the country.
In the matter of consumer protection and the novel coronavirus pandemic, we now must address the issue of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) by implementing the proven methods that directly retard the prevalence of the diseases.
We can use front of package warning labels on foods, which have shown to increase consumers awareness about the nutritional content of a particular product. This enables healthier choices and reduces the underlying risks of NCDs. Tax on sugar sweetened beverages has also shown promising results for reducing consumers consumption of unhealthy sugars. Moreover, with health care cost estimated at over $1.7 billion to treat chronic illnesses, the sugar tax will assist with public education and early intervention.
In protecting society’s most vulnerable, we must ban marketing to children. Predatory marketing and industry interference have created poor eating habits amongst children. Four in five children are either overweight or obese. Overweight and obese children are likely to stay obese into adulthood and are likely to develop NCDs like diabetes and cardiovascular diseases at a younger age. Being overweight and obese, as well as their related diseases, are largely preventable. Prevention of childhood obesity therefore needs high priority.
We can beat NCDs, which will put us in a better position to deal with COVID-19. We have seen that people with underlying health issues were more susceptible to the coronavirus. This Government must demonstrate that it’s serious about prevention and protection against COVID-19 by tackling NCDs. A healthy nation is a wealthy nation. Let our vote not be in vain.
Michael Diamond
President
Consumers Intervention of Jamaica
consumersinterventionjamaica@gmail.com
