UK soda tax reduces children’s sugar consumption
Stacks of different brands of soda at a grocery store. Research shows that a soda tax has … (+) significantly reduce daily sugar consumption in the UK
British children’s consumption of sugar from soft drinks halved in the years after a tax on the sugary drinks was announced, scientists have found.
Children’s overall daily consumption of free sugars (those added to foods and drinks or found in fruit juices, syrups and honey) also fell by 10% in the year after the tax came into effect, the research found.
Free sugars are linked to many serious health problems, from cardiovascular disease to type 2 diabetes, making them a major target for public health policies. More than 50 countries have imposed taxes on sugary drinks in an attempt to improve the health of their populations.
Announced in 2016 and introduced two years later, the UK’s ‘soft drinks industry levy’ imposed a tax on many drinks containing more than 5g of sugar per 100ml. Policymakers hoped that manufacturers would make their drinks less sweet to avoid being hit with the extra cost.
Scientists studied the results of a national dietary survey of more than 15,600 adults and children to estimate the impact of the tax on sugar consumption.
They compared the evolution of sugar consumption to that of protein intake between 2011 and 2019, because the latter food group is not subject to a similar tax, but will nevertheless become more expensive with inflation.
Adult consumption of sugar from soda has fallen by about a third since 2016, while children’s consumption has fallen by about half.
In 2018 alone, daily consumption of all free sugars decreased by 5g in children and 11g in adults. Most of this reduction – 3g in children and 5g in adults – was due to sugary drinks alone. Protein consumption, on the other hand, remained stable.
The study adds to a body of research on the impact of sugar taxes on public health. A previous study showed that the UK tax may have reduced tooth extractions caused by decay in children.
Nina Rogers, a researcher at the University of Cambridge and lead author of the study, said: The Guardianthat the results were “consistent with previous research showing a reduction in household purchases of sugar from soft drinks one year after the tax was introduced.”
However, experts say the UK still consumes too much sugar.
The World Health Organization recommends that free sugars should not make up more than 5% of dietary energy intake. This corresponds to about 30 g per day for adults, 24 g for children aged 7 to 10 years and 19 g for children aged 4 to 6 years.
In 2019, both adults and children still consumed around 45g of sugar per day.
Rogers suggested the country’s new government could build on the tax’s success by including more sugary drinks in the tax’s scope. Some drinks, such as fruit juices and alcoholic beverages, are exempt from the tax.
Other researchers have recommended extending such taxes to more foods.
Kawther Hashem, professor of nutrition and public health at Queen Mary University of London, urged policymakers to “consider applying a similar tax to other discretionary products that contribute significantly to sugar consumption, such as chocolate confectionery, to help shift diets in a healthier direction.”
The UK government has already announced plans to restrict the sale of sugary energy drinks and cut back on junk food advertising.
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