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TEENAGERS IN THE British Isles drink almost a bathtub full of sugary drinks each year, according to Cancer Research UK.
Children aged 11 to 18 consume on average 234 cans of sugar-sweetened soft drinks each year, the charity said.
The figure amounts to almost a bath full and is more than double the figure for children aged between four and 10, whose average annual intake is 110 cans.
The data stems from a recent report carried out by the government’s health department and the Food Standards Agency, charting the population’s diet and nutrition.
The study found a drop in the amount of sugar-sweetened soft drinks consumed by children, with a more significant fall recorded in the under-10s than teenagers.
Despite the improving figures, CRUK said there was an urgent need to further reduce children’s intake of sugary drinks and threw its support behind government proposal to introduce a sugar tax.
“The ripple effect of a small tax on sugary drinks is enormous, and it will give soft drinks companies a clear incentive to reduce the amount of sugar in drinks,” said Alison Cox, director of prevention at CRUK.
Fizzy drinks
“But the government can do more to give the next generation a better chance.
Social Protection Minister Leo Varadkar previously said he is not giving up on the idea of a sugar tax.
Last year, the former Minister for Health Varadkar wrote to the Finance Minister Michael Noonan asking for a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened drinks in an effort to tackle obesity.
However, his calls fell on deaf ears, much to the dislike of many organisations like the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF), who have argued that it should be introduced.
Drinks industry push back
Previously, he was asked about reports that the drinks industry are considering legal action if such a tax was introduced.
Varadkar said: “When you introduce any change or any new tax or any change to the law there is always a risk that it will be challenged legally by those that don’t agree with it.”
British Prime Minister Theresa May revealed plans in August to introduce a sugar tax aimed at tackling childhood obesity, tooth decay and type 2 diabetes.
The sugar levy was first unveiled in March by the administration of May’s predecessor David Cameron.
The tax on drinks with more than five grams of sugar per 100 millilitres will be introduced in two years, despite strong opposition from the drinks industry.
Only a handful of countries such as France, South Africa and Mexico have attempted such a tax.
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why all the fuss leave them up there
@PW: I think that’s what they did, removed at 8am, just in time for breakfast
@PW: gotta make way for Santa’s sleigh
Should spray them with water and leave them over night. Wouldn’t need any so called special trained staff to get them down then.
@Seán Dillon: that’s my brother your talking about
@Seán Dillon: i second that.
@Martin Scaldbag: and what
@Martin Scaldbag: Nobody cares
@Seán Dillon: Or just put some thought into designing prison roofs so it’s not possible to stay up there. I.e., steep roofs, roof access only possible with scaffolding or cherry-pickers, no parapet to stop you sliding off, etc.
@Conall: yeah good idea, unfortunately most of these prisons are old and retain the old structures for imprisonment.
@Seán Dillon: unfortunately its now considered inhumane to use water on prisoners, load of nonsense i know…
As a member of the EU we should lobby to be able to transfer Prisoners on disciplinary to other Prisons throughout the EU. So the likes of those convicts that assault staff, or as in this case endanger staff having to get them down, could be shipped off to a Romanian, Bulgarian or Baltic States Prison etc for a few months. A form of Shenigan treaty for Prisons. You could bet they would sing a different time when they returned.
@Mick.: would you not have Romanian and Bulgarian prisoners constantly acting up so they could stay at mountjoy hilton
@Darren Byrne: There are much easier Prisons to choose from in Scandinavia. But those States I mentioned know how to deal with their own disruptive convicts far more effectively than we do. The “Touchy Feely Bleeding Hearts” have very little input into their Prison Systems.
@Mick.: welcome back
Someone should have told them the magic sleigh is coming tonight to fly them away
@Kieran Monaghan: doesn’t take very much imagination to think up of a few ways to get them down quickly! And the specialist’s wouldn’t be needed either!
Specially trained negotiators? I hope the conversation was brief ‘ get the f… down or f…ing freeze.
They were prob just fixing their sky dish (that is mugs are paying for)
Get their mammies to come tell em get down like they did in Spike Island way back or just leave em dere.
Shame they were “Safely” removed….
Why the Carolina flack comments closed
@Karllye kripton: cause she beat 7 shades of shite out of her boyfriend and now she’s being prosecuted for it.
@Adrian™: that’s what he was into‘allegedly’
@Adrian™: I’ll bet if the shoe was on the other foot the media would have a field day with it
( doesn’t matter what foot it’s on for the record it’s wrong,, but I can’t stand double standards)
I would have used a sniper!
ah come on , they were looking for a chimney to come down tomorrow morning.
Another joke of a government department
Government can’t even secure our prisons….it’s a joke
And it’s up like a bird and it’s over the city, 3 men are missing I heard a warder cry………..
Does Santa have a key for Solitary to deliver present…..
Smarter than I thought. Waited for the weather warnings to clear.
Because there’s criminal proceedings and the journal respects the right to a fair trial
They should have shot them, then they would fall from the roof and hey presto problem solved and as an added bonus more prison spaces would be freed up
I’m all for leaving them up there. Or knocking them off with plastic bullet
Send up a Drone with a few pints, tell them it’s on the slate:
Protest over them having to make Xmas cards for next year .
Waiting for the drone with the xmas parcel. I’d say they’ll be a happy lot over the festive season
Punters Pal..explain?
have your say