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Tax all sugary drinks, say doctors. Good idea or not?

Hello

Doctors are asking the government to put a 20% tax on sugary drinks to help combat Britain's 'obesity crisis'.

And the money raised, suggests The British Medical Association (BMA), should be spent on making fresh fruit and vegetables cheaper.

A typical sugary drink can contain up to 9 teaspoons of sugar, says the BMA, and it's those 'empty calories' that could be damaging our health, making us more likely to become overweight and obese.

The doctors suggest a tax of at least 20% – meaning a 65p can would cost 78p and a £1.85 2-litre bottle would cost £2.22. And they think this would be an effective way to deter us from consuming so many sugary drinks, and help us make healthier food-and-drink choices.

But what do you think? Is this 20% tax on sugary drinks a good idea – or not? Do you think it would make people stop and think before reaching for another Coke bottle? Would it make you cut down?

Do please let us know by adding a post to this thread. We'd love to hear your views.

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Replies

  • It should! I see a lot of parents buying these kind of drinks. Some of these drinks are cheaper than water!

    20 years ago an adult wouldn't have had in his hole life the amount of sugar that a child has nowadays in a few years. Working within NHS and seeing so many obese children and even worse - children diagnosed with diabetes; does make you want a change! 

    xx

  • Yeah this seems fair to me. Provided it's a across the board, with a certain criteria having to be met, it seems like a good solution

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