Health impact assessment of the sugar tax

Children's health will benefit most from the sugar tax on the UK soft drinks industry

The greatest benefit for obesity and oral health from the sugar tax on the UK soft drinks industry would be among individuals aged younger than 18 years, with people aged older than 65 years having the largest absolute decreases in diabetes incidence, according to a study published in the Lancet Public Health Journal.

In March the Government proposed a tiered levy on sugar-sweetened beverages; the researchers estimated the effect of possible industry responses to the levy on obesity, diabetes, and dental caries.

Three possible industry responses were modelled: reformulation to reduce sugar concentration, an increase of product price, and a change of the market share of high-sugar, mid-sugar, and low-sugar drinks. For each response, a better-case and worse-case health scenario was defined.

The study suggested that reducing the sugar content of drinks was likely to have the greatest impact on health, with an even greater impact if manufacturers increased the price of high-sugar drinks and persuaded customers to buy healthier drinks.

Children would benefit the most because they are the largest consumers of sugary drinks.

Dr Adam Briggs, lead author of the study and from the University of Oxford, said: "We must therefore be vigilant to ensure the food industry acts to remove sugar from soft drinks, and that where the tax is passed on to consumers, it increases the price of targeted products only - drinks with high levels of sugar."

Gavin Partington, director general of The British Soft Drinks Association, said there was no evidence that a tax on soft drinks would have an impact on levels of obesity.

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