A sugar tax could have the unintended consequence of encouraging people to switch from sweetened soft drinks to booze, new research suggests.

And because wine and beer often have more calories than soft drinks, a poorly-targeted sugar levy could produce net neutral or even negative health outcomes, the researchers say.

A tax on sugary drinks could have unintended consequences.

“People don’t just drink because they are thirsty. They drink socially. And you’re not going to drink water in those circumstances – it’s either sugar-sweetened beverages or alcohol. And that has not been considered in the debate in this country,” says Dr Alan Barclay, a research associate at the University of Sydney.