Chancellor announces new sugar levy on soft drinks in his Budget

In response to the Chancellor’s announcement today of a new sugar levy to be introduced in 2018 on soft drinks, Professor Nigel Hunt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, Royal College of Surgeons, said:

“The Chancellor’s announcement today of a new sugar levy to be introduced on soft drinks is very welcome.

“Approximately 90 per cent of tooth decay is preventable; eating and drinking high levels of sugar is a significant cause. Tooth extractions continue to be the number one reason why 5-9 year old children are admitted to hospital. A levy that could decrease the amount of sugar children are consuming is therefore a massive step in the right direction towards tackling poor dental health and obesity.

“We now urge the government to investigate how this sugar levy could be applied more widely than just soft drinks."