Sugar taxes to hit poorer families more than it should

The new planned sugar tax will have nothing to do with sugar content in products and will affect poorer families harder, says the Taxpayers’ Alliance (TPA).
Research carried out shows that some coffee shop drinks have more sugar content than a normal can of Coca Cola, but wouldn’t be affected by the tax.
The Taxpayers’ Alliance research found that 100ml of Coca Cola contains 10.6g of sugar, and this will be taxed. A Starbucks hot chocolate with whipped cream and coconut milk contains 11g of sugar for every 100ml, but will not be taxed.
The main source of sugar being added into children’s diets is from soft drinks, so they will be taxed, the Treasury said. However, the top 10 sugary drinks that were investigated by TPA will not be taxed.
Out of these top 10 sugary drinks, a chai latte with semi skimmed milk from costa was found to contain the most sugar, with 17.5g of sugar per 100ml, with a Galaxy thick shake bringing up the rear with 11.6g per 100ml.
The NHS says that the amount of added sugars you consume should not take up more than five per cent that you get from food and drink per day, which is approximately 30g of sugar per day for those aged 11 and over.
The NHS also said that they would introduce their own sugar tax in their health centres and hospitals in England. Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, says that he wants to introduce a 20 per cent tax on all foods and sugary drinks by 2020.
It is predicted that the tax the NHS will introduce could raise £20m to £40m a year, which could help improve its workforce’s health.
A Treasury spokesperson said the tax on the soft drink industry is a “major step forward in our efforts to tackle childhood obesity.” He then said that the money would go to schools so they would be able to buy more sports equipment, and would be able to expand their breakfast clubs.