London: The UK government has announced an extension of the soft drinks industry levy to more high-sugar drinks, including milk-based drinks, Department for Health and Social Care statement said Tuesday.
According to Kuwait News Agency, this change is part of a package of measures the government is using to tackle obesity and prevent heart disease, stroke, and cancer. These measures include the Healthy Food Standard aimed at making the average shopping basket healthier, banning junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed, prohibiting the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16, and empowering local authorities to prevent fast food shops from setting up near schools.
The new plans are expected to significantly reduce daily calorie intake by approximately 4 million in children and 13 million in adults across England. It is estimated that these efforts could prevent nearly 14,000 cases of adult obesity and about 1,000 cases of childhood obesity.
The initiative is also projected to deliver nearly £1 billion in health and economic benefits. This includes saving the NHS £36 million, reducing social care pressures by £30 million, and boosting economic output by around £221 million through improved workforce participation.
The sugar threshold is being lowered from 5g to 4.5g per 100ml, meaning more high-sugar drinks will be subject to the levy unless manufacturers reduce sugar content. Businesses have until 1 January 2028 to comply with these new regulations.
Obesity, a major contributor to diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, presents a significant public health challenge in the UK, which has the third highest rate of adult obesity in Europe. The condition costs the NHS £11.4 billion annually, three times the NHS budget for ambulance services.
Between 2015 and 2024, the levy has successfully reduced sugar levels in affected products by nearly half. These interventions have also led to substantial reductions in hospital admissions for children requiring caries-related tooth extractions, with decreases of over 28 percent among 0-4 year olds and more than 5% among 5-9 year olds.