Have people bought less fizzy drink as a result of the sugar tax?

[Alloverthegrapevine]

I'm looking for something that suggests increasing the cost resulted in people changing their habits. I.e. why government think expanding it is a good idea. I haven't seen anything.

In our family, those who previously drank Coke are still making a point of buying "full fat" and pay the extra, but we were probably not the target as fizzy drinks have always been a once a week treat.

Have people stopped or reduced the amount they buy? Have they switched to sugar free versions? I'm afraid I'm not at all convinced they are preferable for health, or even for obesity.

Apologies, if the data is there I should be able to find it, but I haven't succeeded in that search.

Lots of restaurants have stopped serving full sugar. Subway I think and other places like Toby Carvary off the top of my head. It has changed my habits and I’m completely got used to Coke Zero now.

From a personal view point people have switched to sugar free. I drink Pepsi Max, when the sugar tax came in you couldn't get it for love nor money. Even during covid i couldn't get any, i could get full fat coke (but its too sugary i didn't buy it) but Pepsi Max was rarer than toilet roll.

I actually have but it's because I'm trying to lose weight, not because of the tax.

Yes, but only because proper coke is becoming harder to get hold of.

I would (and do) happily pay more for it if I had the option to buy it.

If it's not available I don't choose the zero or diet option instead because they are vile.

I suppose it's having the intended consequence either way.

Yes, because I don’t like artificial sugar.

I don’t like low fat things either as it’s stuffed with artificial crap to make it taste better.

Nothing wrong with real fat and sugar. It’s the fake crap I’m wary of.

We still buy as much full sugar coke etc as we always did, I drink coke zero most of the time but only because the amount of sugar in coca cola kept me up at night and meant I put on weight rapidly! Full sugar coke is generally for alcoholic drinks and if we go out for meals. I prefer full sugar for all other types of fizzy drinks. And will pay the extra rather than switch to a sugar free version.

No. I still buy full fat.
I also actively boycott certain places now such as Pizza Hut and KFC which have removed them altogether.

Some pubs I go to have such a dreadful range of non-alcoholic drinks that I end up asking for a pint of tap water if I'm eating. Hardly keeping them in business! It puts me off pubs if it's not an alcohol moment (which it rarely is)

I drink a lot more Coke because it's often the only safe bet. I'm not keen on Pepsi.

I do not like the taste of artificial sweetners and from the thumping headaches they give me, they don't like me either.

At home I've switched from supermarket high juice to Rocks. Consumption not really changed although I do have to drink up in summer before it goes moldy.

Prior to lockdown, it made no difference to my weight.

I'm not convinced that switching from sugar to sweetners is a great health move. I know far more people swigging away limitlessly at diet drinks than mindfully consuming sugar knowing it's something to consume in moderation. Not great for insulin responses...

All the sugar tax did for me was increase the number of brands that I do not touch!

Still buy as much, did try diet versions but didn't like them.

End up paying for a glass bottle if out.

Squash I always go for the sugary version.

Fizzy drinks, I buy less because they're more expensive and I don't like the sugar free versions.

We mostly drink plain water, but have sugary drinks as an occasional treat. In the supermarket I look out for the "sugar tax applied" label because that's an easy way to avoid drinks that have vile artificial additives in them. I would much rather give my children a drink containing only natural ingredients including real sugar, as a rare treat, than more frequently giving drinks full of aspartame etc. The cost really isn't an issue because we aren't living on the breadline and a few pence isn't relevant to any of my food buying choices (DC skinny anyway as they do loads of running around all day and are too food-picky to absorb many calories)

I didn't drink much full fat juice but I do still buy it for a treat when the fancy takes me so it hasn't changed my habits. I do drink too much diet fizzy juice though...

I don't like the diet or zero versions so I've stuck with the normal coca cola.
I tried the new lucozade since the sugar tax and it has completely ruined it I'll never be buying it again which is such a shame ☹️

Technically, yes.

But only because I discovered that Coke Zero is actually nicer than the full sugar verions of Cola.

If it came to food, I'd take a 'life's too short' approach, and buy the stuff we like.

The no sugar Alpro yoghurts are vile, for anyone wondering. The rhubarb and strawberyy is very nice though.

Yes. I drank very little anyway but have even less now. I used to love a San Pellegrino on a hot day but they've added artificial sweeteners and it tastes awful now so I don't bother. I have the occasional red coke or something like a Fentimans that still has sugar in.

I genuinely prefer the sugar free versions of every soft drink other than Irn Bru (god I miss proper Irn Bru) so it hasn't changed anything for me.

I drink fizzy drinks very rarely, perhaps around 1 a week, so if im having a Coke, i want a proper Coke as the diet one is vile, tastes flat. I love the old fashioned traditional soft drinks too so again they are a rare, full sugar treat.

Perhaps for people who guzzle gallons of the stuff the low/non sugar is better otherwise they would have no teeth left!!

The only drink i go out of my way to buy sugar free is Red Bull or the cheap alternative- again a rare treat but id be bouncing off the walls with the full sugar version!

TLDR: The legislation has not affected my purchasing or consumption.

We drink water at meal times, and fizzy drinks are an occasional treat. We try to stick to fresh food, cooked from scratch. DD has epilepsy and we noticed artificial sweeteners cause her more seizures. I myself find Coke Zero and Pepsi Max have a vile bitter after taste.

So, as we can afford it, we will always pay whatever it takes, to have full sugar versions!

Sort of, but only because I really hate the taste of artificial sweeteners and it’s hard to find anything without them in now.

Oops posted too soon. So before I would have had a full sugar fizzy drink if we were out somewhere, but now loads of places have stopped selling them at all. So I have wine instead

Yes, but I only ever had them as an occasional treat every other week or so. I’m allergic to some artificial sweeteners, so the fact you can’t get regular coke or lemonade in many restaurants now is really annoying.

Never really liked full sugar versions... They just taste like liquid sugar to me. Never liked sugar in tea, energy drinks and other similar things too. (Unfortunately sweets are a different matter!)

I buy a lot fewer soft drinks, but it's not because of the cost - it's because artificial sweeteners taste awful and give me IBS. I'd be happy to pay a bit extra for real sugar things like Fentimans, but it's not available everywhere. So I suppose I've cut down indirectly because of the sugar tax, but not quite in the way they meant. The sugar tax has just ended up with sugar being replaced with other rubbish so it's not making people healthier overall.

Yes to pp. San pelligrino was a lovely rare treat and it has been ruined. I note it is often on sale now.

I hate artificial sweetners so will buy the occasional bottle of full sugar lemonade for the kids. We didn't drink much in the way of fizzy drinks before the tax.

I don’t consume fizzy drinks often, but I have been pleasantly surprised by Coke Zero, it really is so much nicer than Diet Coke, which is disgusting. I still enjoy a can of full-fat Coke as a very, very occasional treat, though