If you’re not sure how the new sugar tax will affect you and your family, we’re here to help.
We’ve answered some of the questions that might be on your mind about the new sugar tax that came into force on 6th April.
Will this stop child obesity?
Sugary drinks have a new levy which means that manufacturers will have to pay higher taxes for stocking these products. This inevitably means the prices of sugary drinks will increase, with the aim of reducing the amount of overall sugar (a factor in obesity) consumed.
Does this concern your child?
According to BBC the average teenager consumes three times more sugar than the recommended amount. Public Health England also hopes that the implementation of this tax will improve children’s oral health. According to their statistics, a child’s tooth is removed every ten minutes as a result of decay. Health experts are hoping this sugar tax will decrease the number of children with rotting teeth.
How are people taking this?
There are mix responses to the implementation of this levy. Many consumers agree with this decision because people might abstain from purchasing sugary drinks. However, some consumers say they should be allowed to buy whatever they want and should not be taxed higher for buying products high in sugar.
What is the response from sugar drink manufacturers?
Many campaigners feel like the tax is already a success. Already many companies have reduced the amounts of sugar in their products. According to BBC, many brands such as Fanta have cut there sugar contents by almost a third. Ribena has by half and Lucozade by nearly two-thirds. Coca-Cola has not reduced the amount sugar in the drink because its consumers love its taste. But they have cut the size of the 1.75l bottle to 1.5l and increased the price by 20p.
Although the manufacturers are facing this new tax, whether or not they increase the cost of their drinks is up to them.
Do people not really know how unhealthy sugar drinks are?
The issues some consumers are having is not about the pricing of products, but instead is about the complicated nutritional information. Perhaps if labels were simplified, consumers would be able to understand the contents of what they drink.
