Sugar Tax

This Friday, 6 April 2018, the Sugar Tax will come into effect.  This means that producers of sugar-based drinks will be charged a tax based on the amount of sugar contained in their drinks.  The charge will be dependent on the total number of grams of sugar within the drink and will affect some of your favourite mixers too.

There will be 2 tax bands:

• Drinks with a total sugar content above 5g per 100ml will be charged 18p a litre
• Drinks with a total sugar content above 8g per 100ml will be charged 24p a litre

There are a few exemptions:  fruit juices, milk-based drinks, most alcoholic beverages and small companies manufacturing fewer than 1m litres per year.

Why do we need a tax on sugar?

Public Health England have highlighted that the NHS could save £15bn and almost 80,000 lives in a generation by weaning the public off sugar in their diets.  Today’s children and teenagers are consuming 3 times the recommended level of sugar, with adults not far behind.  The tax was announced by Chancellor Philip Hammond in his budget statement in 2017.  He said that the money raised as part of the levy would be given to the Department for Education.  It is estimated to raise around £520m which will be used to fund sports in primary schools. 

If you would like to see the amount of sugar and calories in our current tonic and mixer range click here.