UK Sugar Levy could benefit Guernsey indirectly

Friday 06 April 2018

A sugar levy which was introduced in the UK on Friday 6 April could benefit locals as it is likely manufacturers will reduce the amount of sugar in their drinks, the island's Director of Public Health has said.

This comes along with a number of other measures Health & Social Care are taking to help people make healthier choices when it comes to sugar and sugary drinks.

The impact sugary drinks have on the health of populations has been recognised through Guernsey and Alderney's Healthy Weight Strategy, which aims to help create environments where healthier options are accessible and increasingly become the norm. 

And according to the UK’s National Diet and Nutrition Survey, children and young people are on average having nearly treble the daily recommended amount of sugar - with sugary drinks being the largest source.  Excess sugar can lead to developing Type 2 diabetes, increase in body fat and decaying teeth.

“Examples of local action include joint working between Public Health and Child Health Services, the Dietetics and Children’s Dental Services who have joined together to help support the States Early Years Team and local nurseries and pre-schools on a range of nutrition topics, including sugary drinks and have developed new resources and the nutrition-related aspects of the Early Years Quality Standards," Dr Nicola Brink, Director of Public Health, said.

"Water and milk are widely provided in these settings and they are very supportive of the work on nutrition."

Dr Brink said islanders are also likely to benefit from reductions in sugar levels of a large number of soft drinks, as manufacturers respond to the introduction of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy in the UK, which is now in effect in the UK.

The Levy has been designed to prompt manufacturers to lower the sugar content of their drinks, with those remaining high in sugar attracting the Levy – 18p per litre for drinks that remain at 5g of more of sugar per 100ml and 24p per litre for those remaining at 8g of sugar per 100ml or above.  The action has already helped drive a significant amount of reformulation, as manufacturers lower the amount of sugar in drinks to avoid paying the Levy. 

Health & Social Care has investigated whether Guernsey should introduce a similar sugar tax, however it has decided against pursuing such a move at this stage given the introduction of the UK levy. The Committee said it will monitor the local impact of the UK’s levy, given that the vast majority of soft drinks bought on-island are imported from the UK.

Above: AG Barr, which makes Irn Bru, expects 99% of its drinks range to be below the Levy when it comes into force, whilst Britvic, which makes drinks such as Robinson’s and J20, reports that the sugar levels in  94% of its brands will be low enough to be exempt.

“Understanding the impact of sugary drinks is also included in the Health and Social Care aspects of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and part of Personal, Social and Health Education in schools," Dr Brink continued.

"These, together with the work of the Specialist School Nurse and alongside standards for Food in Guernsey Schools are some of the ways we are trying to help ensure healthier drink choices are the easier choices for children and young people.  Links have been made with national campaigns, such as Sugar Smart, and projects such as these will continue to evolve.”

Lucy Whitman, Health Improvement Practitioner, added: “Tap water and low fat milk are good alternatives to sugary drinks. Fruit juices and smoothies contain vitamins and can count towards your fruit and veg daily intake, but they are sugary and best kept to one small glass (150ml) of either juice or smoothie a day and at mealtimes, as it will help protect teeth.”

Further tips from HSC can be found here and here.