Reacting to the news that the UK Government has announced that the soft drinks levy will be extended to cover more products including sugary milk-based drinks, Professor Grant McIntyre, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery and Vice-President at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh said:
"We are delighted that the UK Government has taken the steps to extend the current soft drinks levy to more high-sugar drinks. We believe that this extension could play an important part in reducing obesity and tooth decay, particularly amongst children and young people."
"These milk-based drinks often contain just as much sugar as fizzy drinks, the College is in favour of the removal of the exemption for these drinks. High sugar consumption puts children at greater risk of dental decay and obesity, and is worryingly the leading cause of hospital admissions among 5–9-year-olds in England."
"The sugar levy has proved to be an effective way of encouraging drinks companies to reformulate their products and reduce sugar content, which has tangibly led to a 46% reduction in the sugar contained in soft drinks. The government estimates that this will reduce the daily calorie intake by around 4 million in children and 13 million in adults across England, preventing almost 14,000 cases of obesity in adults and 1,000 cases in children."
"Although these interventions will not eradicate childhood obesity and dental decay, the evidence strongly suggests that this will have a positive impact on thousands of children, to which we welcome that."