Britain will introduce a sugar tax on soft drinks in an effort to prevent childhood obesity. The new tax will enter into force in 2018, Chancellor George Osborne announced on Wednesday. The levy, which will be imposed on companies that produce or import soft drinks, is expected to raise 520 million pounds a year (about €670 million). The money will be used to fund sports programs and breakfast clubs at primary schools and allow many secondary schools to extend their school day. “Five-year-old children are consuming their body weight in sugar every year. Experts predict that within a generation over half of all boys and 70% of girls could be overweight or obese. Obesity drives disease,” the chancellor told MPs on Wednesday. The tax will consist of a two-part levy, with rates depending on the amount a sugar a drink contains. A lower tax will apply to beverages with a sugar content of more than 5 grams of added sugar per 100 milliliters, the higher levy will be imposed on drinks with over 8 grams of added sugar, which includes Coke and Pepsi. Pure fruit juice and milk will be excluded from the tax, which will start in April 2018. Doctors and health campaigners, who had long been calling for a sugar tax, welcomed the move. Simon Stevens, chief executive of National Health Service (NHS) England, told The Guardian that the tax “will send a powerful signal and incentivise soft drinks companies to act on the health consequences of their products”. British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who has for years been pushing for the soda tax, said in a statement: “The food revolution is underway. This feels like a victory for Britain’s children and for everyone who has campaigned so hard for a tax on sugary sweetened drinks.” With the new tax, Britain will follow other countries that have started taxing sugary drinks to reduce consumption, especially among children. Mexico, one of the top countries for childhood obesity, introduced a 10 per cent tax on soft drinks in 2014. Since then, sales in Mexico have fallen by 12 per cent. (ab)