Britain is introducing a levy on soft drinks in two years time to tackle what the government calls ‘a growing obesity crisis’.
Reuters report that the announcement was made by Minister For Finance George Osborne today.
The planned levy would be based on the sugar content in drinks, raising 520 million pounds for the government.
When the announcement was made, shares in soft drink companies and sugar suppliers dropped between 3 and 5 percent.
The UK government had previously ruled out such a tax, calling it ‘the wrong course of action’.
Supporters say the tax should work similarly to the tobacco levy, leading to a reduction of consumption of sugar-laden beverages.
Chef Jamie Oliver had been campaigning for a sugar tax for several years, and expressed his happiness via an Instagram post.
