What is the sugar tax? The sugar tax is a tax on items which contain a high volume of sugar, increasing the item’s cost. The intention of this tax is to limit the number of items purchased in the hope that the price puts people off, trying to create a healthier population. As of today, the UK have implemented a new law for manufacturers to apply a tax on top of drinks with a high sugar content.

The UK won’t be the first country to introduce this tax. Countries such as France and Mexico brought in this tax years ago and has proven to be successful. In an average can of a Cola (330ml), there are nine cubes of sugar - the recommended sugar intake for people over the age of 11 is seven cubes per day. With the new tax, drinks with over 8g of sugar per 100ml will have a tax of 24p per litre, with drinks containing 5-8g of sugar per 100ml will have a tax of 18p per litre. The Chancellor estimates that the tax will raise over £500 million per year, which is to be spent elsewhere - in Scotland it hasn’t been confirmed, but in England, it’ll be spent in school sports and breakfast clubs, helping to create a healthy population.

Will this tax actually be worthwhile? That’s a gamble we take, and won’t find out until the tax is carried out. Although it’s not a massive figure, some people will refuse to pay extra for that can of Irn Bru or Cola, and on the other hand, the extra money might not even phase people. It’s 50/50. For those who opt against buying their daily can of fizzy drink, or the occasional treat, they’re making a positive lifestyle choice, benefitting their own health. Then again, those who buy a can know the impact the sugar levels have on their health and it’s their own choice which affects their life. If it’s something bought on a daily occurrence, an extra few pence won’t bother them. The tax is there to try and reduce the number of people buying high sugar content products and think twice.

The tax aims to tackle the obesity levels in the UK; the rates in the past 30 years have tripled and it is estimated that over half the population could be obese by 2050 (current levels sit just beneath 25%). With these worrying statistics, this is exactly why the Government are acting fast and introducing the sugar tax. Whether or not it works, I’m not sure. The next step is targeting products such as sweets and biscuits which have high sugar levels also, and I reckon this could be beneficial because the number of people who snack rather than eat proper, nutritious meals is significantly higher.