A self-imposed Sugar Tax across the Jamie’s Italian estate has resulted in a reduction in consumption of sugary drinks, a study has found.
The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found that a levy of 3.5% on sugary drinks was associated with an 11% drop in sales. The findings were published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
In 37 Jamie’s Italian outlets, 10p was added to the price of the drinks, starting in September 2015, while the menus were also redesigned to separate them from other non-alcoholic options and stating that the money raised from the levy would go to a charitable cause.
After 12 weeks, the 37 restaurants recorded an 11% decrease in sales of sugary drinks per customer. After six months, sales had decreased to 9.3%.
Susan Jebb, professor of diet and population health at Oxford University, said: “This is a careful analysis and shows a greater than anticipated fall in sales, which is encouraging news for public health ahead of the introduction of the soft drinks levy next year.”
