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If you are a fan of Coca-Cola, Irn-Bru or Lucozade Energy Original this could affect you.

The Government's sugar tax is only weeks away from its planned implementation so manufacturers and importers of soft drinks that are high in sugar are faced with two choices.

They can either pay more tax - and potentially pass on additional costs to consumers - or reformulate their products - which could also upset consumers who generally fear change.

Either way, the Soft Drinks Industry Levy will soon come into force.

It is a reaction to the exceptionally high levels of added sugar in many of the nation's favourite soft drinks.

Experts believe that the industry is having a particularly negative impact on the health of young people in the UK.

So, two years ago the Government announced that it would introduce a levy to encourage manufacturers of sugary drinks to reduce levels of added sugar in their products.

It is expected to be introduced in April 2018.

Here are the twelve main points:

1. Is the Soft Drinks Industry Levy the same as the “sugar tax”?

The Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) was nicknamed the “sugar tax” when it was announced at the 2016 Budget. But the Government claims that it isn't a tax on all sugar. It only targets the producers and importers of sugary soft drinks. This is an incentive to remove added sugar, promote diet drinks, and reduce portion sizes for high-sugar beverages.

2. Will soft drinks cost more as a result?

This is not a tax on shoppers. The government is not increasing the price of products; companies don’t have to pass the charge on to their customers. If companies take the right steps to make their drinks healthier they will pay less tax, or even nothing at all.

(Image: Getty)

3. What exactly will be taxed?

The levy will make soft drinks companies pay a charge for drinks with added sugar, and total sugar content of five grams or more per 100 millilitres. That is about 5% sugar content. There is a higher charge for the drinks that contain eight grams or more per 100 millilitres, or about 8% sugar content. This means that pure fruit juices won’t be taxed, because they don’t contain added sugar. Neither will drinks that have a high milk content, because they contain calcium and other nutrients that are vital for a healthy diet.

4. What will the money raised be spent on?

In England, the new levy revenue will be invested in giving school-aged children a brighter and healthier future, including programmes to encourage physical activity and balanced diets.

5. Why soft drinks in particular?

There are nine teaspoons of sugar in a 330ml can of cola, instantly taking children above their recommended maximum for the day. A five year old should have no more than 19g of sugar in a day, but a typical can of cola can have 35g. Public health experts from the Chief Medical Officer to the British Heart Foundation agree that sugar-sweetened soft drinks are a major source of sugar for children and teenagers, and that sugar intake contributes to obesity.

(Image: Getty)

Many soft drinks contain no intrinsic nutritional value, and could be easily reformulated to contain less sugar. Some companies have already done this.

6. Is obesity really a major problem?

Yes it is. The UK has one of the highest obesity rates among developed countries, and it’s getting worse. By 2050, over 35% of boys and 20% of girls aged 6-10 are expected to be obese. The estimated obesity-related costs to the NHS is over £6 billion.

7. Can soft drinks producers really reformulate their products?

Yes. Reformulation is definitely possible and some players in the soft drinks industry are already moving in the right direction. Companies like Tesco, Robinsons and The Co-Operative have already taken steps to reformulate.

Evidence suggests that this works. The food industry reformulated products to reduce salt and salt intake has been reduced by 15% over the last 10 years. But with a looming obesity crises government believes a strong lever is needed to get industry to act.

(Image: Reuters)

8. How does this compare to what other countries have done?

Many countries – including France, Finland, Hungary and Mexico – have introduced taxes on soft drinks in various forms. The World Health Organisation has said that taxes are needed to help halt obesity rises across the globe.

The levy that the UK government has unveiled is aimed directly at producers and importers, not consumers, because the government believes that producers need to act, rather than just passing higher prices onto consumers.

This kind of approach has been tried in Hungary, and researchers there found that companies did act to remove unhealthy ingredients.

9. Who supports the levy?

Chef Jamie Oliver and other expert health campaigners have highlighted the problem of childhood obesity in the UK.

In fact, over 60 public health organisations have called for a tax on sugary drinks. This includes Public Health England, The British Medical Association and the Royal Society for Public Health. Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer for England, has said that reformulation and resizing are the key wins for tackling obesity.

10. When will this come into force?

It is planned to come into force in April 2018.

11. Is the Government planning to tax chocolate bars and biscuits?

No. There are no current plans to introduce similar levies or expand this one to confectionery.

However, the government hopes this levy will encourage the entire food and drinks industry to play their part in developing products with lower sugar content.

12. What criticism has there been of the levy?

Will Quince, MP for Colchester described the levy as patronising and an example of the nanny state. It has been argued that pure fruit juice should be taxed in the same way as it contains as much sugar. Results from a study by the University of Glasgow found that a narrow focus on sugar leads people to believe - mistakenly - that fat is of secondary importance when tackling obesity.