UK’s newly elected Prime Minister Liz Truss is preparing to scrap sugar taxes on soft drinks and also ditch some anti-obesity measures to ease the cost-of-living crisis in the country, The Times reported yesterday citing government sources.
To work towards the same, British finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng has reportedly ordered health officials to review obesity control measures, a move that is likely to result in the removal of many of them.
The Times reported that a ban on “buy one, get one free” promotions on unhealthy food, which was delayed by the government earlier this year amid rising costs, is now unlikely to go ahead, according to Reuters.
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Also, a ban on sweets and chocolates on display at the checkout, set to take effect next month, was also in doubt.
In an August interview with the Daily Mail, Liz Truss had said “(People) don’t want the government telling them what to eat.”
What Exactly Is ‘Sugar Tax’?
The “ground-breaking” sugar tax on soft drinks had come into force in the UK in April 2018. The tax aimed to help millions of children to tackle childhood obesity. Under that, manufacturers have to pay a levy on the high-sugar drinks they sell.
The sugar tax implies that drinks with more than 8g of sugar per 100ml face a tax rate equivalent to 24p per litre. Those containing 5g-8g of sugar per 100ml face a slightly lower rate of tax, of 18p per litre. However, pure fruit juices were exempt as they did not carry added sugar, while drinks with a high milk content were also exempt due to their calcium content, as per a BBC report.
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The report also mentioned that ministers and campaigners believed that the move proved to be a success with many firms reducing sugar content ahead of the change. Leading brands such as Fanta, Ribena and Lucozade had begun to cut the sugar content of drinks. The introduction of the levy in 2018 also meant that the UK joins a small handful of nations, including Mexico, France and Norway, which had introduced similar taxes.
As per The Guardian report, almost two-thirds of adult Britons are overweight or obese. Moreover, obesity costs the NHS (The National Health Service) an estimated £6.1bn a year to treat because it is an increasingly common cause of cancer, diabetes, heart conditions, painful joints and other health problems.
Also Read: Why King Charles III Will Not Have To Pay Any Inheritance Tax
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