36% of young people drink sugared beverage every day

More than a third of young people consume sugary drinks daily

This is according to new data collected by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland (IPH), which will be presented at its annual conference tomorrow .

A key figure from the data shows that 36% of 15- to 24-year-olds living in the Republic consume sugar-sweetened drinks either most of days of the week, if not daily.

More than a quarter of 25- to 44-year-olds drink sugar-sweetened drinks at least once a day or on most days of the week.

The research also discovered that it is young people, males, and those from lower socio-economic groups that are the most regular consumers of sugary drinks here.

In general terms, the IPH data found 86% of 15- to 24-year-olds and 68% of 25- to 44-year-olds drink sugar-sweetened drinks.

The data is being delivered in the form of a presentation called ‘A Spoonful of Sugar,’ by Joanna Purdy and Noelle Cotter, at the IPH’s fifth annual open conference tomorrow. It coincides with World Obesity Day 2016.

They will also discuss how one in four children across the island of Ireland is either overweight or obese.

The doctors will also draw on data from the Revenue Commissioners, that estimates that in 2014, 411m litres of sugar-sweetened drinks were sold in Ireland alone.

“World Health Organisation guidelines state that free sugars should comprise less than 10% of our daily energy intake, while reductions below 5% [approximately six teaspoons] per day would provide additional health benefits,” said a spokesperson from the IPH.

“Consuming one 330ml can of SSD could take a child over their recommended daily sugar intake.”

Their data follows heavy lobbying, over several years, for a sugar tax. There is talk that such a levy will be introduced by Finance Minister Michael Noonan in tomorrow’s budget, but that it would not be implemented until 2018.

Tomorrow’s IPH conference is taking place in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter and will be opened by the North’s minister for health, Michelle O’Neill.

The aim of the all-island open conference is to highlight how public interventions can make a “significant positive difference to the lives of individuals”. It will also showcase other public research that has been undertaken and will be attended by health practitioners, policy makers as well as people from the voluntary sector.

In total, 19 papers are being presented tomorrow, under the theme of ‘Breaking Down Boundaries’. Health issues that will be focused on include those of tackling poverty across the life cycle and an examination of how healthy we really are.