Sugar tax in the UK.
www.thelancet.com/oncology Vol 17 May 2016 e182 UK Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, made a surprise announcement during last week's budget. From 2018, drinks in which the sugar content exceeds 8 grams per 100 millilitres will be liable to a levy, equivalent to 24 pence per litre. As things stand, this will aff ect the regular versions of Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, and Red Bull. Drinks with a sugar content of 5 8 grams per 100 millilitres will be taxed at the equivalent of 18 pence per litre. Fruit juices and milk based drinks will be exempt (although some of these contain far more sugar than a typical soft drink) The Government expects the tax to raise PS520 million in the fi rst year, money which will be spent on school sports to encourage healthier behaviour. The focus on fizzy drinks may be driven by expediency these are highly visible items which provide no nutritional benefit. A tax on confectionery or processed food would be tricky to formulate. Besides, the main target is British children and teenagers, around one third of whom are overweight or obese. According to some estimates, every day the average 11 18 year old in the UK consumes roughly three times their recommended quantity of sugar. Soft drinks appear to be this group's single largest source of sugar. "Overweight and obese children are more likely to be overweight and obese adults, and that increases your risk of up to ten different cancers" said Chit Selvarajah of Cancer Research UK, London, UK. A report commissioned by the organisation suggested that if current trends continue, the UK will face some 670 000 new cases of cancer caused by obesity over the next 20 years. "It is brilliant to see bold action from the Government on this issue it is a really important first step in terms of addressing childhood obesity" Selvarajah told The Lancet Oncology. S imon Capewel l f rom the Faculty of Public Health, (London, UK) expressed qualms over the structure of the levy. "Industry will work very hard to reduce sugar content to 1% less than the cut off point" he explained. "A tax graded gram by gram would exert steady pressure on them to reduce the sugar content down towards zero" But he welcomed the measure. "The Government has stated very publicly that they have looked at the evidence of harm from sugar and been persuaded, and it is extremely symbolic, important, and powerful that they have put the levy on drinks manufacturers" Capewell concluded.
The Lancet. Oncology