Mounting evidence for sugar tax success

Pressure is mounting on Australia to introduce a sugary drinks tax, after a levy in the United Kingdom halved children’s sugar intake from soft drinks after its introduction.
 
According to a new study analysing the UK’s Soft Drinks Industry Levy, childrens’ daily sugar intake fell by 5 g, and adults fell by 11 g after the tax’s rollout.
 
The research comes just days after a landmark diabetes Parliamentary report called for a 20% levy to be implemented in Australia, as well as mounting pleas from advocates and experts to introduce the tax.
 
The renewed push comes as Australians consume more than 2.4 billion litres of sugary drinks each year, with an average 375 ml can of soft drink including up to 50 g of sugar – around 12 teaspoons.
 
In Australia, research estimates a 20% health levy could result in 16,000 fewer cases of type 2 diabetes, 4400 fewer cases of heart disease, and 1100 fewer cases of stroke over 25 years.
 
‘The groups at the highest risk of developing diabetes and obesity, including poorer people and Indigenous Australians, drink the most sugary drinks,’ the Parliamentary report added.
 
More than 50 countries have now introduced a sugar tax on soft drinks in a bid to create healthier choices for their residents and persuade manufacturers to reformulate their products.
 
The UK’s tax went live in 2018.
 
After analysing the health information for 7999 adults and 7656 children, the new UK study found sugars consumed from all soft drinks almost halved in children and fell by one third in adults, compared with the period before the tax.
 
Additionally, after one year, children further reduced their sugar intake from food and drink combined by around 10%, and adults by 20%.
 
It also revealed specific age-related differences, with the largest single contributor to sugars in 4–10-year-olds being cereal and cereal products, followed by soft drinks and fruit juice.
 
In those aged 11–18, soft drinks provide the largest single source of sugar, and for adults the largest source is preserves and confectionery, followed by non-alcoholic drinks.
 
‘Furthermore, efforts of the soft drink industry to reformulate soft drinks were found to have led to significant reductions in the volume and per capita sales of sugar from these soft drinks,’ the study concluded.
 
However, the research said the overall daily energy intake from free sugars levels were still higher than the World Health Organization recommends, signalling there is more work to be done.
 
Recent Australian Parliamentary figures revealed that a 20% tax on sugar-filled drinks would raise $1.4 billion in just two years.

The modelled tax would cover soft drinks, cordial, energy drinks, sports drinks, fruit drinks, and flavoured mineral waters, and is based on the levy beginning in July 2025.
 
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