“So unserious”: Netizens react as new UK law bans unlimited refills of full-sugar drinks at restaurants

In line with new legislation by the English government restricting multi-buy offers on food and drinks high in fat, salt, and /or sugar, multiple restaurants have stopped offering unlimited refills of fizzy drinks, such as Coca-Cola and lemonade.

Food restricted includes sweets, crisps, chocolates, ice cream, pastries, cakes, pizzas and finger foods. The new regulations, according to a report by the BBC, are designed to tackle obesity and are considered "crucial steps" in giving children a healthy and happy start in life. 

A spokesman for the Department of Health and Social Care stated:

"Obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems and costs the NHS billions."

The restrictions apply to supermarkets, high-street shops and online retailers. This measure, originally planned to take effect years ago, was stalled because of the cost-of-living crisis. 

Barbara Crowther, Children’s Food Campaign manager, applauded the initiative, saying:

"Whilst they are promoted as 'deals', multi-buy promotions are designed to get us to buy more, spend more money, and encourage impulse purchasing. They are overwhelmingly focused on unhealthy food and drink, but the public wants special offers to focus on their core shopping basket and healthier food."

Netizens react as new law bans unlimited refills of Coca-Cola and other drinks in restaurants 

On Saturday, PopBase on X shared news that the restrictions have taken full effect, and restaurant chains like Nando’s have put up signs informing customers that they can no longer get refills of some fizzy drinks.

An X user reacted to the news, tweeting:

“So unserious.”

Some Netizens expressed their displeasure at the news:

“Britain just turned bottomless drinks into a sad math problem. I guess Nando's is now serving guilt with every sip,” a netizen wrote.

“Not a fan of government telling me what or how much I can consume,” another added.

“This is such a non-issue??? Like there's more things going on in uk and yall are stopping coco cola refills? Weird,” an X user expressed.

Others commended the initiative;

“I think other countries should also observe this safety procedure in their restaurants in order to save lives,” one praised.

“Interesting move! Health concerns are becoming a priority,” another added.

“Finally, somewhere that takes health and life seriously, why is it even in existence, feeding people with things that shorten their life span?” a netizen commented.

Continue reading PRIMETIMER for more informative content.