Sugar Tax

antrobus

lisyloo wrote: »

Not sure if you're being ironic, but there are some type 1 diabetic children (not caused by lifestyle) who use lucozade.
What I'm unsure if is whether there are practicable alternatives they could use.

The point has been made.

Chris Loukas from Urmston in Trafford, Greater Manchester, says his teenage daughter Yvette is sporty, fit and healthy. She manages her type 1 diabetes with energy drinks that contain sugar. "Yvette was diagnosed at the age of four. As a family, we spend a fair amount of money on Lucozade energy and sport drinks. Not all kids who regularly consume expensive sugary drinks are lazy, overweight slobs," Chris says.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-35831139

Perhaps they will be able to get it on prescription?

antrobus

Mojisola wrote: »

Is there something special about Lucozade? Wouldn't any sweet drink or sugar tablets do the same job?

Well, yes, but the soft drinks industry levy is presumably going to apply to any soft drink that contains the necessary sugar. I suppose that you could carry around a packet of sugar cubes and a bottle of Volvic and achieve much the same result.

Feral_Moon

SnooksNJ wrote: »

The reality is they will pay taxes until they drop dead in their mid 40's. I hope I comforted you in your fears that soda drinkers will live until age 80 draining the NHS.

They don't need to live until they're 80 with the ever increasing onset of T2 diabetes occurring in children as young as 10, by the time they reach 40 they will already have cost the NHS tens of thousands of pounds.

Quote: "Until 10 years ago, type 2 diabetes accounted for less than 3% of all cases of new-onset diabetes in adolescents. At present 45% of cases are attributed to it (3,4)."

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/Supplement_2/S161.full

wymondham

mwpt wrote: »

It's a step forward !!!!!!.

Do we want to do nothing, paralysed by fear because every small step forward doesn't complete the progress?

sorry did I upset you?

mwpt

wymondham wrote: »

sorry did I upset you?

Yes, a little actually. I apologise for offence caused though.

lisyloo

Mojisola wrote: »

Is there something special about Lucozade? Wouldn't any sweet drink or sugar tablets do the same job?

Apparently isotonic drinks are easy to make.
I agree that's not the end of the world but it's a shame things have to be made even harder than they are already for those that don't deserve it.

I am not against tacking obesity. I just don't think this is that well thought through.

antrobus

lisyloo wrote: »

Apparently isotonic drinks are easy to make......

Plain vanilla Lucozade Sport is I think isotonic. There are variants that are hypotonic. I suspect that good old fashioned Lucozade is hypertonic; it would have to be with all that sugar.

lisyloo wrote: »

...I agree that's not the end of the world but it's a shame things have to be made even harder than they are already for those that don't deserve it.....

Thinking about it; you can get Lucozade tablets. Which would be a work around.

chewmylegoff

lisyloo wrote: »

Apparently isotonic drinks are easy to make.
I agree that's not the end of the world but it's a shame things have to be made even harder than they are already for those that don't deserve it.

I am not against tacking obesity. I just don't think this is that well thought through.

There is always someone who can be found who doesn't "deserve" to lose out, but if we based policy decisions on not disadvantaging the tiny minority of people who are negatively affected but don't "deserve it" then government would be unable to implement any policies whatsoever.

I respectively submit that the number of diabetic children who need to manage their condition with lucozade who cannot just drink (cheaper and exempted from the sugar tax) fruit juice instead is vanishingly small. The potential benefits that would follow from manufacturers materially slashing sugar content of popular fizzy drinks far outweighs any detriment to a tiny group of people who can easily find themselves a work-around anyway.

Generali

chewmylegoff wrote: »

The potential benefits that would follow from manufacturers materially slashing sugar content of popular fizzy drinks far outweighs any detriment to a tiny group of people who can easily find themselves a work-around anyway.

And indeed may lead to a drop in the number of people needing to manage their diabetes!

cells

although I dont like telling people what to do or eat I do think there should be a more education in schools on the basics of life and health and running households. everything from how to cook clean & iron to proper hygiene (dental too) and how to manage finances and spending and be MSE.

I would go as far as to say more than half of households lack common sense basic housekeeping skills and basic life skills.


For the sugar tax, maybe the state does have a role in shaping diets and activities. Even typing that my mind tells me off by thinking....why not have ration cards and we can all be given a pre planed menu going out a week. Having said that the best taxes are the ones I dont pay and since I dont drink much sugar soda this is one i support if for no other reason than that