Waiting extra year to introduce sugar tax ‘a grave mistake’

Waiting another year to introduce a sugar tax is a “grave mistake” the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland has warned.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said on Monday that he would introduce a sugar tax in 2018, in line with similar plans in Britain.

There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to introduce a new tax on sugar-sweetened drinks and the RCPI wants the Government to introduce the tax in next month’s budget.