"The Soft Drinks Levy is one part of our plan to tackle childhood obesity. From today, soft drinks which contain too much added sugar will need to pay a fee," said Robert Jenrick, Exchequer Secretary to the UK Treasury. "Our teenagers consume nearly a bathtub of sugary drinks each year on average, fuelling a worrying obesity trend in this country. Leading brands in the UK, such as Fanta, Ribena and Lucozade, have cut the sugar content of drinks. According to UK government figures, 60 per cent of the UK population is overweight, with approximately one in-four people obese, and sugary soft drinks account for around 20 per cent of the sugar consumed by children.

Source: dna April 07, 2018 05:51 UTC