Since the introduction of the sugary drink tax, adults in the UK are now consuming nearly 11 grams less sugar per day, a new study has indicated.
Meanwhile, children in the UK have reduced their daily sugar intake by five grams since the sugary drinks levy, the research has found.
However, sugar intake is still high, with a lot of people in the UK consuming more than the recommended amount outlined by the World Health Organization (WHO).
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In a bid to prevent childhood obesity, a two-tier sugar tax on soft drinks was introduced by the government in 2018.
This tax added 24p per litre to drinks with the highest sugar content and 18p per litre to those with a lower amount.
Unsweetened juices and zero-sugar drinks did not receive this tax, meaning these drinks are now cheaper to buy.
Free sugars are the most common sugars consumed by Brits. Added free sugars are included in fizzy drinks, breakfast cereal, chocolate, flavoured yogurts and biscuits, as well as fruit juices, smoothies, vegetable juices, honey and syrups.
Prior studies have revealed that sugary drinks can trigger the development of obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
During this research trial, the team of researchers explored sugar trends over time by analysing data from 7,999 adults and 7,656 children between 2008 to 2019.
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After looking at the trends following the sugary drink tax, the authors said: “It led to significant reductions in dietary free sugar consumption in children and adults.
“The energy people got from free sugar as a percentage of total energy did not change, indicating that calories from free sugar were dropping at the same time as a decline in overall calorie intake.”
They added: “In children, a daily reduction of 4.8g sugar equates to approximately 19.2 calories out of an approximate daily intake of 2,000 calories which is equivalent to approximately one per cent reduction in energy intake.”
