Consumption of sugar from soft drinks falls within a year of UK sugar tax

That's according to research published by The BMJ.

Researchers found that overall sales of soft drinks have not changed. This, together with previous findings of no long-term impact of the tax on soft drinks share price and domestic turnover, suggests that the drinks industry has not been hit financially as a result of the tax, which was designed to improve public health.

High consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) is associated with increased risk of tooth decay, obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. As such, the World Health Organization recommends taxes on these drinks to try to reduce consumption.

The UK soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) is a two-tiered tax levied on soft drinks manufacturers from April 2018 to encourage them to reduce the sugar content in their products.