The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) says taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages that are meant to encourage people to make healthier choices don’t actually work, but a Waterloo, Ont.,-based researcher says they have drawn on “very little of the real evidence” in making their claim.

New Canadian research suggests that a sugary drinks tax could save 13,000 lives and even raise $43 billion over the course of 25 years.

For the first time, the American Heart Association issued its recommendations on added sugar urging parents to make sure kids between two and 18 are eating fewer than six teaspoons per day.