Pell D, Mytton O, Penney T L et al. Changes in soft drinks purchased by British households associated with the UK soft drinks industry levy: controlled interrupted time series analysis. BMJ 2021; DOI: 10.1136/bmj.n254.

Reductions in obesity and type 2 diabetes are predicted.

Increased risk of dental caries, obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes is associated with high levels of consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). In 2016, the UK government announced a two year notice of the introduction of a two tier soft drinks industry levy (SDIL) to incentivise manufacturers to reduce the sugar content of SSBs.

Using data from a sample of actual household purchases, this study found a 41.6% reduction in volumes of high tier (>8 g sugar/100 mL) SSBs consumed at the implementation (but not the announcement) of the SDIL, reducing the amount of sugar consumed per household by 16.1 g (43.1%). Reductions per household were also seen in low tier (5 g-<8 g sugar/100 mL) SSBs. However, increased volumes of purchased non-levy drinks (>5 g/100 mL) resulted in some increases in sugar purchased from this source.

Overall, volumes of soft drink did not decline but sugar purchased from soft drinks decreased by 30 g per household per week one year after the introduction of the levy, in line with pre-implementation modelling.