Sugar tax: what you need to know
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Corinna Hawkes, City, University of London
If you like swigging sugary drinks, you might get a bit of a surprise next time you go to buy one, as a so-called sugar tax has now come into force in the UK.
From now on, drinks with a sugar content of more than 5g per 100ml will be taxed 18p per litre and 24p for drinks with 8g or more. It’s hoped the tax will help to reduce sugar intake, as scientists have shown that sugary drinks lead to weight gain and diabetes. Figures show that 58% of women, 68% of men and 34% of 10- to 11-year-olds in the UK are classed as overweight or obese.
Of course, a tax alone is not going to solve the obesity problem overnight. Sugary drinks may be a leading source of sugar in the UK diet, but they are not the only contributor to obesity. So while we are not going to see obesity prevalence crashing down anytime soon, what taxes can do is contribute to change.
How to reduce sugar
The UK sugar tax aims to incentivise sugar reduction in drinks. Because it is im...
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