Jamie Oliver Imposes Sugar Tax In All Of His Restaurants In The United Kingdom
In an effort to tackle childhood obesity, U.K. celebrity chef Jamie Oliver is implementing a "sugar tax" on carbonated beverages served in his restaurants, according to the Western Daily Press.
All of Oliver's restaurants will charge an extra 10 pence (about 16 cents) for every drink containing added sugar. This extra charge will go to a farming charity that promotes healthy eating.
Oliver told the Western Daily Press that cutting sugar needs to begin with beverages. "Soft drinks are the biggest single source of sugar among school-age kids and teenagers, and so we have to start here," Oliver said.
The U.K. government has been talking about the possibility of creating a sugar tax, but there has been no action yet.
Oliver is not new to healthy eating advocacy. In July 2013, he worked with schools in the U.K. to teach students about healthy eating, and in August 2013, he criticized poor families for eating unhealthy meals.