Wales Weighs Ban on Free Drink Refills to Foster Healthier Choices

In a significant move towards promoting healthier lifestyles, the Welsh government is considering a ban on free drink refills at restaurants and cafés. Health Secretary Eluned Morgan has initiated a consultation on this proposal, which aims to restrict the promotion of food products high in fat, sugar, and salt. The initiative seeks to support the public in making healthier choices by limiting certain promotional practices.

Nalamszei SKYoza, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The consultation outlines several key legislative proposals. One of the primary measures includes prohibiting retailers from offering free drink refills, a popular practice in many high street restaurants such as Nando's and Five Guys. Additionally, the proposals aim to prevent retailers from offering promotions like buy-one-get-one-free and three-for-two deals on unhealthy food products. These restrictions would also extend to the placement of such products in prominent store locations, including entrances, end-of-aisle displays, and checkout areas. The rules would also apply to online platforms, affecting website entry pages, shopping baskets, and payment pages.

Public reaction to the proposed measures is mixed. Hayden Roberts, a 28-year-old restaurant worker from Wrexham, believes the restrictions will encourage healthier eating. "Because of these offers, food that's bad for you is cheaper than food that is good for you," he said. "If they put these things in place, people might be encouraged to buy healthier food."

Vishley Furtado, a 21-year-old student, highlighted the financial challenges of eating healthily. "A lot of things have gone up in price. You should eat healthier, and they should promote that," he said. "They should try to make healthier food more affordable."

Karen Salisbury and Sian Roberts from Wrexham stressed the importance of educating children about healthy eating. "More and more kids these days don't know vegetables," said Karen.

The deadline for consultation feedback is midnight on 23 September. If approved by the Senedd, the new regulations will come into force in 2025.

Curlyrnd, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

This initiative follows a series of similar measures in the UK. Last year, plans were announced to restrict meal deals with high fat, sugar, or salt content to combat obesity and diabetes. These plans faced opposition from retailers and concerns from an eating disorder charity. In Scotland, a proposed bill to restrict junk food promotions was paused in June 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The UK government has also delayed its plans to ban two-for-one junk food deals until at least 2025.

A Welsh government spokesman reiterated the intention to make healthy eating easier and more accessible. "This proposed legislation is part of a broad range of voluntary and regulatory approaches that we are considering to encourage the food and retail sector to produce, promote, and sell healthier food and drink," he said.

However, the proposal has faced criticism from some quarters. Sam Rowlands, the Welsh Conservative shadow health minister, described it as "over the top" and warned it could worsen the cost of living crisis for the poorest in society. "While healthy eating is important, the Welsh Conservatives believe that you have a right to decide what you eat and drink. Clearly, Labour do not," he added.