The story of FiZZ: an advocacy group to end the sale of sugar sweetened beverages in New Zealand

FIZZ (which stands for fighting sugar in soft-drinks) is a new advocacy group started to reduce population consumption of sugar-sweetened soft drinks in New Zealand. The vision of FIZZ is for New Zealand to be sugary drink free by 2025. This means that sugar sweetened beverages will comprise < or = 5% of the total beverage market, and sugar free drinks will be the norm. In this paper, we outline the story of FIZZ: to reiterate why we believe the group is needed, reflect on what the group has achieved to date, consider what it aims to accomplish, and outline what methods it will seek to achieve these aims. Put simply, we believe that the epidemiological evidence that sugar intake, particularly in liquid form, causes poor physical and mental health is overwhelming. Swapping sugar sweetened drinks for sugar free alternatives, water or milk, is, in our view, an urgently needed and important step which is likely to reduce the epidemic of unhealthy weight (obesity) and its sequelae. The nutrition environment in New Zealand is now out of step with scientific evidence, with virtually unrestricted access to, and sales and marketing of, sugary drinks to both children and adults. FIZZ is seeking the implementation of local and nationwide policy, similar to those implemented for tobacco, to limit advertising, restrict marketing, raise purchase prices and ultimately curb the sales of sugary drinks in New Zealand. FIZZ is also working in communities to raise people's awareness of the harms sugary drinks pose to health. We at FIZZ also acknowledge that the beverage industry may play an important role in accomplishing this vision, and have established that there is common ground upon which FIZZ and industry can engage to reduce the sugary drink intake.