Jamaica’s bittersweet reckoning

WESTERN BUREAU:

Jamaica is facing a bitter truth about its sweetest habit. From vending machines on university campuses to roadside coolers and taxi stands, sugary drinks have become the nation’s go-to refreshment. But behind every bottle of soda or sweetened juice lies a growing health crisis – one that doctors warn is quietly fuelling epidemics of hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease across the island.

“In Jamaica, the research shows that more than half of people consume sugary drinks every single day,” said Dr Marcia Johnson-Campbell, regional coordinator for priority non-communicable diseases at the Western Regional Health Authority.

“Years later, a diagnosis of hypertension and then diabetes, maybe heart disease – and this is not hypothetical,” she warned. “These are dreams interrupted, productivity lost, families affected, a nation burdened. And here’s the hardest truth: by the time we see the disease, we’ve already missed the opportunity for prevention.”

Her remarks, delivered at a seminar at the University of Technology, Jamaica Western Campus, used the example of a young student’s daily soda habit to illustrate how small choices accumulate into long-term health consequences.

Against this backdrop, the Jamaican Government is preparing to introduce a new Special Consumption Tax (SCT) on sugar-sweetened beverages. Finance Minister Fayval Williams announced that the levy will target the sugar content of drinks rather than their overall volume.

“The logic of this design is simple and principled – it is the sugar that causes the harm, so it is the sugar that should be taxed,” Williams told Parliament in her recent contribution to the 2026-2027 Budget Debate.

Under the new structure, beverages with higher levels of added sugar will attract a higher tax while those with little or none will be spared. The measure, expected to take effect on May 1 this year, is designed not only to raise revenue but to push manufacturers to reformulate products and nudge consumers towards healthier choices.

The urgency is clear. Hypertension affects roughly one in three Jamaican adults while diabetes impacts up to one in five. Stroke and diabetes are now among the leading causes of death.

Equally troubling is the lack of awareness: four in 10 people with hypertension or diabetes do not know they have it. And among those who do, only about 30 per cent have their condition under control.

The Jamaica Health and Lifestyle Survey paints an even starker picture: more than half of the population is overweight or obese, and nearly two-thirds have elevated blood pressure.

SERIOUS PROBLEM

Johnson-Campbell argued that cultural attitudes towards body size often mask the seriousness of the problem.

“Only 6.5 per cent of respondents reported being overweight or obese, but medical assessments showed the actual figure was closer to 53.8 per cent,” she said.

“The ‘fluffy diva’ look, we’re comfortable with it. You don’t even consider that you are actually obese.”

The physician stressed that tackling Jamaica’s chronic disease crisis would require more than government policy. The food and beverage industry must also change.

“Sweet is what sells. Fat is what sells. Salt is what sells,” she said. “So yes, manufacturers will resist reformulation because income is going to go down. But if we don’t do something, the cost to our economy and workforce will be far greater.”

Her warning was blunt: “We don’t have to worry about the robots getting hypertension and diabetes, but humans need to be healthy and strong in order for productivity to continue.”

Johnson-Campbell welcomed the sugary drinks tax as an important step but cautioned that fiscal measures alone would not solve Jamaica’s public-health challenges.

“The introduction of a tax on sugary drinks is not to punish but to protect,” she said. “If it works well, it might not raise any revenue at all – because people will change their behaviour.”

She emphasised that tackling non-communicable diseases requires collaboration among government, academia, industry, and communities. “Health is central to national development. Collaboration is essential. It’s not optional.”

Addressing students directly, Johnson-Campbell framed the issue as both a warning and a call to action.

“You are the bridge. You are the innovators. You are the future professionals,” she told the UTech Western Campus final-year students in the school of business administration. “The next chapter has not yet been written. It will be written by people like you.”

For a country whose history and economy have long been intertwined with sugar, shifting consumption habits may prove challenging, but public-health officials say the stakes are too high to ignore.

Because behind every sweetened drink lies a choice – one that could shape not only individual health but Jamaica’s future well-being.

albert.ferguson@gleanerjm.com