United Kingdom imposes ‘sugar tax’ on soft drinks to curb obesity. What?

The UK has decided to combat obesity by imposing sugar tax on soft drinks, and now people will have to shell out extra bucks to buy a normal pet bottle of coke. Drinks containing five grams of sugar per 100 ml will now be taxed at 18 percent per litre, and those with more than 8 grams per 100 ml will be taxed at 24 percent per litre.
The levy will be applied to manufacturers in Britain and whether they pass it on to consumers or not will be up to them.

“The Soft Drinks Levy is one part of our plan to tackle childhood obesity. From today, soft drinks which contain too much added sugar will need to pay a fee,” said Robert Jenrick, Exchequer Secretary to the UK Treasury.

“All revenues raised through the levy will directly fund new sports facilities in schools as well as healthy breakfast clubs, ensuring children lead healthier lives,” he said.

The tax is expected to add 240 million pounds every year to the treasury and it has already resulted in 50 percent manufacturer reducing sugar levels in their beverages. And since, it was announced in March 2016, roughly 45 million kg sugar has been reduced from beverages in the UK.

“Our teenagers consume nearly a bathtub of sugary drinks each year on average, fuelling a worrying obesity trend in this country. The Soft Drinks Industry Levy is a ground-breaking policy that will help to reduce sugar intake, whilst funding sports programmes and nutritious breakfast clubs for children, said UK Public Health Minister Steve Brine.

Source: India Times