Companies that directly or indirectly damage health will eventually have to pay more taxes than they do now. This is what Health Minister Ernst Kuipers recently said during his so-called Els Borst lecture.
The D66 minister did not mince his words during this lecture. For example, he mentioned several companies from the food sector in the same breath as cigarette manufacturers, steel producers and chemical companies.
“Pollutants of health”
Kuipers literally said during his lecture: “When we talk about the environment, we now consider it the most normal thing that the polluter pays. Why don’t those who pollute our public health pay for the damage they cause? Philip Morris, Chemours, Tata Steel – they have been spreading toxic substances among our population for decades. The cancer atlas shows us what the consequences are. McDonalds, Haribo and Coca-Cola know very well that their products are unhealthy.”
“Fair that companies contribute”
“As far as I’m concerned, all these companies are going to pay more taxes than they do now,” the health minister continued. “Because at the moment people are getting sick unnecessarily and our society pays a lot for care that could have been prevented. It seems only fair to me that the companies that helped create those costs also contribute to covering them.”
“Intervening in old neighborhoods”
Kuipers also pointed out the large difference in years of life between different neighborhoods in our country. He pointed to an outdated neighborhood with poorly insulated homes and youth gangs in Copenhagen. The number of people who are seriously overweight and with diabetes increased sharply. Thanks to intensive measures (such as a communal garden, renovation of homes and a dedicated restaurant), the figures for diabetes and obesity stabilized. They are even expected to decline in the coming years, according to Kuipers.
“Thinking more radically”
The minister: “We cannot continue to watch as health differences continue to increase. In my opinion, we should think more radically about this and not only look at how we can change behavior, but also be more decisive when it comes to picking up the bill.”