Sugary Drinks Facts

Aussies are bombarded with a huge amount of sugary drink marketing every day.
What these companies don’t advertise is the serious damage that regularly having sugary drinks does to your teeth. Too many sugary drinks can also contribute to weight gain, increasing the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease and 13 types of cancer.
Sugary drinks are the single biggest source of added sugar in Australians’ diets. We’re encouraging Aussies to think twice before having a sugary drink – they aren’t worth losing your teeth over.
What happens to your teeth when you have a sugary drink?
- Bacteria that are naturally present in your mouth break down the sugar in sugary drinks into acids.
- The acid attacks the teeth, dissolving the outer surface of tooth enamel.
- Each acid attack lasts for about 20 min. Every time you take a sip, the acid damage begins all over again.
- The regular loss of enamel can lead to cavities which exposes the inner layers of the tooth. This can ruin your smile and make teeth sensitive and painful.
How much sugar is in...?
Click the buttons below to reveal the amount of sugar in each drink.
The sneaky sugar in "healthy" drinks
While most of us might know that soft drinks are packed with sugar, what about some of the other drinks out there that market themselves as a better option?
Healthier drink ideas
Take action
It's easy to get sucked in when sugary drinks are all around us. Sugary drinks are heavily marketed and available everywhere, which can undermine people’s effort to be healthy.
We need to set higher standards for how the sugary drink industry markets and sells these products that are making Australians sick.
Here's what you can do to fight back against industry
- Write to your State Member of Parliament asking that sugary drinks and junk food advertising no longer be allowed on state government assets – this includes buses, trains, train stations and many billboards.
- Talk to your school, sports clubs and community centres about their food and drink options.
- Write to your favourite sports team and ask them stop accepting sponsorship and advertising from junk food and sugary drink companies.
- Complain about a sugary drink or junk food ad to the Advertising Standards Bureau.