UK recently focused lenses to one feature of the Budget unveiled by her Chancellor George Osborne. This controversial feature is the sugar tax that would be imposed to most sugary products. A day after this surprise which aimed to promote health, the Local Government Authorities (LGA) asked for powers to ban junk-food advertisement posters near school areas.
The consecutive acts of the authorities to improve health conditions emphasized United Kingdom's wish to act before health problems got the better of them. Osborne after unveiling the surprising act said that he didn't want to look back at his time in the Parliament and tell his generation's children, "I'm sorry - we knew there was a problem with sugary drinks. We knew it caused disease. But we ducked the difficult decisions and we did nothing."
LocalGov published that Councilor Richard Kemp, deputy chair of the LGA Community Wellbeing Board, said that they want to take action and tackle the issue of obesity. The councilor further added that the authority to regulate the advertisement of junk-foods will help the Local Authorities address the issue that is obesity. He referred to it as an epidemic for which junk-food is the culprit.
Kemp said in an emailed statement to Bloomberg that the local councils are not compelled to use such authority if it gets approved. The councils will have the option whether to regulate the marketing of junk-foods near school or not depending on their assessment if it does improve the condition of the children's wellbeing.
The Local Authorities' request may have negative implications against businesses manufacturing, producing and selling junk-foods. Similar to it, is Osborne's sugar tax which triggered the downfall of shares of most soft drink companies like Coca-Cola.
Jeremy Corbyn, Labour leader, responded to Mr. Osborne's unveiling, labeling it as "the culmination of six years of his failures" which had "unfairness at its core," BBC news wrote. Although Corbyn critiqued Osborne's financial proposal and undermined its productivity and its capacity to address inequality, Corbyn was in agreement with the Chancellor on the implementation of the sugar tax.
The funds that will be raised from the sugar tax will be used on primary school sports in England. This is in line with its objectives to improve children's health. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, on the other hand, are free to think of a use for the fund considering their status as devolved administrations.
Telegraph reported that the Chancellor referred to his Budget as "one that takes bold decisions so that our children grow up fit and healthy."
