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UK sugar tax on soft drinks slashed children's added sugar intake by half, new study finds

Sugary drink consumption among kids climbed by 229% in 2018

A new study has found that a sugar tax on soft drinks in the UK has led to a 50% reduction in the amount of added sugar consumed by children.

The study, published in the journal Pediatrics, looked at data from over 100,000 children and young people in the UK. It found that the average intake of sugary drinks fell by 229% in 2018, the year after the sugar tax was introduced.

The sugar tax was introduced in April 2018 and added a levy of 20% to the price of soft drinks that contain more than 5 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters.

The study's findings suggest that the sugar tax has been effective in reducing the consumption of sugary drinks among children and young people. This is an important finding, as sugary drinks are a major source of added sugar in the diet and have been linked to a number of health problems, including obesity, tooth decay, and type 2 diabetes.

The study's authors say that the findings should encourage other countries to consider introducing similar taxes on sugary drinks.