Sugar tax introduced

The UK’S new tax on sugary soft drinks came into force last Friday, meaning drinks manufacturers will now pay a levy (starting at 18p per litre) on drinks sold that contain more than 5g of sugar per 100ml. The tax, aimed at tackling childhood obesity, was announced by George Osborne in 2016. The Treasury estimates it will raise £240m per year, to be spent on school sports and breakfast clubs. An estimated 50% of manufacturers have already cut the sugar content of their products to avoid the levy, though in many cases sugar has been replaced by artificial sweeteners.