My uncensored opinion on the sugar tax

So this week George Osborne took the leap and has introduced a sugar tax on sugary drinks from 2018.

In the past few years, especially since the rise of paleo and low carb for improvements in health, sugar has been outed as the demon and a cause for our obesity problems.

And so, from 2018, we will pay more for sugary drinks that contain more than 5g or more of sugar per 100ml of liquid

Is the country rejoicing over this step to tackle one of the biggest problems facing our country?

Apparently not.

There are a large percentage of people who believe this is just another Tory tax, implemented to suck the joy out of our days as we struggle through the austerity – we can’t even have a can of Coke anymore!!! (too political?)

Except – we can.

Of course we can.

They’re not banning it.

You can still eat and drink whatever you choose to.

Despite that fact it seems that anyone with a voice (& a sugar addiction?) is coming out against it.

“You’re only hurting the poorest people” is what I keep seeing, which essentially translates into

“I DONT WANT TO GIVE UP MY SUGAR, YOU’RE TARGETING POOR PEOPLE, I’M COMPLAINING ON THEIR BEHALF…”

Water is free. From your tap.
It’s also cheap from the shops.

When I was a poor student, I didn’t have money to waste on luxuries like Coke. I drank water and tea and coffee and was happy with that.

The fact is, and read carefully…

NO-ONE WILL DIE FROM THE SUGAR TAX

Will it cure obesity?

No, obesity is a complex issue that has many factors. But if we can reduce one of the contributing factors, and educate adults and children alike, then we are taking a step in the right direction.

To sum up:

If you want to have some sugar occasionally then fine.

But if the tax will effect you to such an extent that you need to take to the Internet to complain like a child without a lolly pop then your diet might be taking you to an early grave.

Of course you are your own person and if you don’t want to, you don’t have to care about that.

However, we can’t keep telling the government to help the obesity crisis and then complain when they take the biggest positive step yet.

So quit your whining and take that angry energy to a cause that would benefit from public support, here are some suggestions;

The lack of support for the NHS from the government

The escalation of benefit cuts and strict sanctions that are ACTUALLY affecting the poorest people in the UK

Child poverty

Campaigning for a fair living wage

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You know, the important stuff.

Ainzlie