The UK government wants to enhance sugar tax on milk cocktails and plant drinks-what you need to know

The UK government is considering Expanding the tax on sugar from drink drinks with milk cocktails and other sweetened drinks under New proposals announced In April 2025, the fee of the non -alcoholic beverage industry (SDIL), to give it an official name, was introduced in 2018 to reduce the consumption of sugar people and aid in the fight against obesity. In the case of non-alcoholic drinks containing 5-8 g of sugar per 100 ml, a fee of 18 pens per liter is used. This increases to 24 pens per liter for non -alcoholic beverages containing over 8 g per 100 ml.

The State Treasury confirmed that he plans to move forward not only with the tax extension, but also by reducing the sugar threshold, which causes it from 5g to 4g of sugar to 100 ml. Changes, named by critics as “Tax on a milk cocktail”He would end the current release from milk -based drinks, as well as plant alternatives such as oat and rice milk.

Based on Our research in a dietary change, conducted as part Project H3 ON Food system transformationWe consider it welcome and timely development.

Not everyone divides this optimism. Opponents of what they perceive as an interventionist policy “nanny” claim that SDIL did not deliver Any true improvements of public health. IN Straw survey in the British newspaperFor example, 88% of respondents claimed that sugar tax did not reduce obesity rates. The Shadow Chancellor Melvyn Stride described the proposed expansion As a “punch of a loser” for households, especially considering the continuous costs of living crisis.

Skepticism around these proposals is not surprising. Many people, regardless of political affiliation, consider additional taxation. And indeed There is evidence suggesting that fiscal tools such as taxes and subsidies There may be blunt instruments. They are too often regressiveby putting a disproportionate burden of farms with lower income.

These fears are vital – but they do not apply to SDIL.

Most importantly, SDIL is not a consumer tax. It is applied to producers and importers who are encouraged to reduce the sugar content of their products to avoid load. Many did it exactly. For example, a group of Japanese multinational and distillery group Suntor has invested 13 million pounds When reformating drinks such as Ribena and Lucozade, removing 25,000 tonnes of sugar, causing release of products from the fee.

According to tax dataSince the introduction of SDIL, 89% of carbonated drinks sold in Great Britain have been reformulated to fall below the threshold subject to taxation. This means that households are not valued at the purchase of non -alcoholic drinks – they can simply choose reformulated and probably cheaper versions.

It is true that Great Britain is still struggling with a stern problem of obesity. In England itself, 29% of adults AND 15% of children At the age of two to 15 they are obese.

But SDIL has an effect. Was Clear sales reduction Sugar from non -alcoholic drinks, and SDIL has Generated 1.9 billion pounds of revenues Since the introduction in 2018.

Read more: Sweet drinks are a killer: 20% tax would save life and dates in South Africa

Early signs also suggest health benefits. One found one examination A decrease in the obesity indicator among 10 to 11-year-old girls after the implementation of Leva. Another analysis suggests that the greatest health benefits will be observable in more without areas and that this can aid narrow down certain health inequalities for children in England.

Changing responsibility

Of course, SDIL is not a silver ball. Excessive sugar intake He is consistently associated with the growing indicators of obesity in Great Britain and around the world. However, there are many factors contributing to the epidemic of obesity, from genetic predispositions to “Obesogogenic” environments – – social contexts which promote unhealthy food and a sedentary lifestyle, such as areas with lots of fast food restaurantsNarrow access to fit food options and no pavementsParks or sheltered exercise places.

There are questions about the negative health effects of reformulated drinks, some of which still contain a high level Sweeteners or accessories. And in a broader context, the need to transform the food system focus only on non -alcoholic drinks may be too narrow.

Read more: Are artificial sweeteners okay for our health? This is what the current evidence says

But SDIL’s success lies not only in the results, but in his project. He transfers responsibility from people to industry, encouraging to change changes, and not simply blaming people for making “bad” choices. . Government announcement in 2016 Among the fee, he gave producers a two -year start, enabling them to reform and introduce their products to the market before entering into force in 2018.

He also says that the idea of ​​taxing milk cocktails caused such outrage, while most people now accept high tobacco taxation. This is because smoking as a problem of public health, mature: His risk is well understood and widely recognized. Meanwhile, obesity is still catching up, despite finding similar health threats, including The main cause of cancer.

There is still a sturdy social mark in Great Britain Diet discussing and weight. But given the scale and urgency of the obesity crisis, there may be time to overcome this reluctance. Effective changes will require bold, system policies – not only public campaigns of consciousness – but multiplayer and targeted interventions that transform economic and cultural environments in which people choose food.

The SDIL extension may not be a medicine, but previous evidence suggests that this is a wise step in the right direction.