PLANS to tax sugary soft drinks from April 2018 won’t curb the nation’s sugar addiction, says an Old Town nutritionist.

The Government has published draft legislation for a tax on sugar-sweetened soft drinks in a bid to reduce childhood obesity.

There will be two bands, one for soft drinks with more than 5g of sugar per 100ml and another for drinks with more than 8g per 100ml.

Soft drink retailers Coca-Cola and Pepsi look set to be hit hardest by the tax. A 330ml can of Coca-Cola contains 35g of sugar. The recommended daily intake for a child aged 11 or over is 30g. It is estimated prices could go up by 6p to 8p a can of soft drink.

But nutritional therapist Helen Auburn said she doubts the effectiveness of the new tax.

“I don’t think it will work — if people want to drink sugary drinks they will and an increase in price won’t stop them,” she said.

“The need for sugar is an addiction and it will take more than price increases to deter people feeling like they need something sweet.

“What we need is education in schools from a young age on the dangers of sugar, like we warn people against smoking.

"People should know the dangers of eating too much sugar - diabetes, obesity, heart problems, it all ties in with having too much sugar in your daily diet.”

Pure fruit juices will be exempt from the tax but health officials say people should limit the consumption of these drinks to 150ml a day.

Likewise, sugary yoghurt drinks and milkshakes will also avoid the tax, due to concerns over teenagers getting enough calcium in their day-to-day diets.

The tax will raise £520m a year which will be injected into programmes to encourage school children to take part in sports and eat balanced diets.

The new tax has won praise from health professionals who believe it will halt the country’s obesity crisis.

Dr Max Davie, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “The sugary drinks that will be affected by this tax have no nutritional benefit and often contain levels of sugar that are above a child’s daily recommended limit.

“These drinks are a major contributor to the high sugar intakes of children, particularly teenagers, and we are in no doubt that they are, in part, contributing to this country’s obesity crisis.”

But Gavin Partington, of the British Soft Drinks Association, criticised the Government for making soft drinks the enemy.

“There is no evidence worldwide that taxes of this sort reduce obesity,” he said.

Fiona Dickens, Swindon Borough Council Public Health programme manager and qualified dietitian, emphasised that there is no one single answer to the prevalence of obesity among children and adults.

She said: “There are many contributing factors to obesity, which means it is important to address this issue in multiple ways. Despite widespread publicity of the problem, lots of children and adults are still eating too much and this can also result in excess weight gain.”

“Education about both the nutritional content and recommended portion sizes plays a vital role, so people understand what and how much their bodies need. Although junk food and drink are more obvious sugar-laden items, high quantities of sugar can also be found hidden in yoghurts and sauces which purport to be low fat and therefore healthy, so it always helps to check labels.

“Exercise is another key area. Having a sedentary lifestyle often leads to obesity, so incorporating regular physical activity into your daily routine is imperative.

"The national Change4Life initiative is a good example of taking a holistic approach, helping people to eat better and be more active. One of its tools is free a Sugar Smart app, which allows people to make smarter choices while still enjoying their diet.”

For more information about how to cut down on sugar, visit www.change4life.co.uk and for one-to-one support on leading a healthier lifestyle email livewell@swindon.gov.uk