British PM suggests a U-turn on sugar tax in the UK
British Prime Minister David Cameron has suggested he could make a U-turn on introducing a sugar tax on fizzy drinks to the UK.
Cameron speaking at a press conference in Hungary said: “I don’t really want to put new taxes onto anything but we do have to recognize that we face potentially in Britain something of an obesity crisis when we look at the effect of obesity on not just diabetes but the effect on heart disease, potentially on cancer.”
The PM said the government would come up with a “fully worked-up program” to tackle obesity, with details announced later this year.
“We shouldn’t be in the business of ruling things out but obviously putting extra taxes on things is not something I aim to do, it’s something I would rather avoid” he added.
In the past Cameron threatened to hike prices on sugar-filled pop as the country faces a diabetes crisis.
Introducing a sugar tax would be another U-turn by the PM, and could see the price of fizzy drinks rise by 30 pence ($0.43).
Downing Street previously said Mr Cameron believes there are “more effective ways of tackling” the growing problem.
A Downing Street spokeswoman said more needed to be done to reduce obesity and urged the food and drink industry to develop more alternative products that do not have high sugar levels.
