Sugar Tax - Tagtiv8's Opinion
This week saw the introduction of the Sugar Tax - a levy on sugary drinks. To many, this is a ‘sin tax, designed to deter unhealthy habits - with win/win outcomes for health and the economy.
The Sugar Tax has been talked about for almost two years now as a sensible and proactive way of tackling childhood obesity. The Sugar Tax is not a tax on all sugars, but a tax on soft drink companies in relation to the amount of sugar that they put into their drinks.
Companies will have to align with new regulations in order to comply with the tax or alter their formula, which some companies such as Ribena and Irn-Bru have already done. Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has even released new flavours of their caffeine-free, Diet and Zero ranges.
https://thegoodfoodlife.co.uk/2018/03/new-coke-flavours/
https://1stvitality.net/blogs/news/49104323-the-drinks-with-up-to-twenty-teaspoons-of-sugar-doctors-urge-ministers-to-slap-a-20-tax-on-sugary-drinks-to-fight-obesity-crisis

What Does the Sugar Tax Mean For You?
The Sugar Tax should not actually affect you directly. As stated by the government, “The government is not increasing the price of products; companies do not have to pass the charge on to their customers. If companies take the right steps to make their drinks healthier they will pay less tax or even nothing at all”. All that Sugar Tax will affect is an improvement in the health and economy of the country. After all, the NHS already spends £6 billion on inactivity and obesity-related health every year.Why Do Tagtiv8 Agree With the Sugar Tax?
When we researched Kellogg’s Tony The Tiger (perhaps a distant, unhealthy relative of Tagi), we found some interesting and worrying things out about sugary breakfast cereals. We have found similar facts while looking further into the Sugar Tax. Cancer Research found that children between ages 11-18 are drinking a bathtub of sugary drinks a year, while 4-10-year-olds are drinking half a bathtub of sugary drinks. When this amount of sugar is combined with sugary snacks and sugars found in a regular diet, we are talking about dangerously high amounts of sugar intake. Their study also claimed that a 20p per litre sugar tax could prevent 3.7 million cases of obesity over the next decade.