針對肥胖問題 英國將對含糖飲料徵稅!

The UK government has published draft legislation for a tax on sugar-sweetened drinks, which is set to begin from April 2018.

英國政府已於日前公佈了關於對含糖飲料徵稅的立法草案，並定於2018年4月開始實施。

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

這項稅收分爲兩類——一是針對每100毫升中含糖超過5公克的軟飲料，二是針對每100毫升中含糖超過8公克的軟飲料，後者徵稅更高。

Ministers hope it will help tackle the nation's obesity problem. Many companies have already begun cutting the amount of sugar in their drinks.

部長們希望這一法案有助於解決國家的肥胖問題。很多公司已經開始減少飲料中的糖分。

Pure fruit juices will be exempt - but health officials stress people should limit consumption of these beverages to no more than 150ml per day.

純果汁則不在其中，但是衛生官員強調，人們應該將這些飲料的飲用量限制在每天不超過150毫升。

Likewise, sugary milkshake and yogurt drinks will also be excluded.

同樣，含糖奶昔和酸奶飲料也被排除在外。

The government has said it expects the levy to raise 520 million pounds in the first year.

據政府表示，預計該項稅收將在第一年達到5.2億英鎊。

Health campaigners have broadly welcomed the initiative.

健康飲食倡議人士則普遍歡迎這項舉措。

Dr Max Davie, of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: "We are very pleased to see government moving forward with this draft legislation, and in no doubt that these drinks are, in part, contributing to obesity crisis."

英國皇家兒科醫學院的麥克斯·戴維博士表示：“我們非常高興看到政府推進這項法律草案，毫無疑問，這些飲料是導致肥胖危機的部分原因。”

Cancer Research UK estimates a 20% tax on sugary drinks could prevent 3.7 million cases of obesity over the next decade.

據英國癌症研究中心估計，對含糖飲料徵20％的稅可以在未來十年內減少370萬肥胖病例的出現。