Chewing gum levy could ‘adversely affect oral health’

DENTAL experts have urged the Government to drop plans to introduce a chewing gum levy amid fears the tax will stop people from chewing sugarless gum to improve their oral health.

Dr Helen Whelton and Prof Denis O’Mullane from the University from the Oral Health Services Research Centre at the University Dental School and Hospital in Cork said a tax on gum was not the way to address the litter problem.

In their submission to the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the dental experts in research and public health said more investment should be made in preventing the gum from ending up on the pavements, not in expensive clean-up operations. They also want chewing gum manufacturers to be obliged to pay for education programmes to get people to stop dropping gum on the streets.

A Government-commissioned study has proposed a mandatory 10% levy (about five-cent per pack) on chewing gum, with the money raised - about €5 million per annum - used to part-pay the cost of removing discarded gum. Also proposed is a negotiated agreement between Government and industry aimed at developing industry-funded strategies to tackle chewing gum litter.

The dental experts agreed that chewing gum litter was a problem but said that enforcement of litter laws was another effective way to stop people dropping gum.

“Just a few fines or prosecutions and the word will be out that dropping your gum is illegal and unacceptable,” they wrote.

Prof O’Mullane said evidence was growing that chewing sugarless gum benefited oral health. Chewing gum increases the flow of saliva leading to a reduction in dental decay.

“We should not adopt a policy that will reduce the use of sugarless gum, which is good for your health,” said Prof O’Mullane. “If you tax gum you are likely to reduce its usage and I don’t think that is the purpose,”

The department said a decision on whether or not to tax chewing gum would not be made until after a four-week public consultation process that would conclude later this month.