The petitioner believes that artificial sweeteners that are found in foods and beverages pose a serious public health concern and should therefore be banned, based on their potential to increase the risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes. The SPICe briefing highlights that many organisations, such as the NHS, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK advocate the use of sweeteners as a replacement for sugar, because of the impact of sugar on tooth decay, obesity and type 2 diabetes.