Burnley Council highlight dangers of high sugar intake as it backs 'Fizz Free February'

Fizz Free February encourages both children and adults to bin fizzy pop for a month to reduce sugar intake, lose weight, save money and protect their teeth.

Families are being urged to pledge their support to the campaign online.

Coun. Lian Pate, the council’s executive member for community services, said: “We’ve all seen the headlines highlighting rising obesity levels, particularly among young children, and we’re far more aware of the dangers of high sugar intake on our general health, and dental health in particular.

“I’d encourage everyone to take part in Fizz Free February and cut out fizzy drinks for the month. Who knows, you might get used to the idea and want to continue it cutting them out for good.

“Fizzy drinks are the largest single source of sugar for children aged 11-18, and they provide an average of 29% of daily sugar intake.

“There are alternatives to that can of pop that are just as tasty and cost a lot less. I’m delighted that Burnley Council has got on board with this campaign and I’d urge as many people as possible to sign up.”

Did you know:

- You can save £438 a year if you stopped drinking one bottle of soft drink per day for a year.

- Drinking just one 330ml can of non-diet fizzy drink a day could add up to over a stone weight gain per year.

- Many fizzy drinks contain six or more teaspoons of sugar per can.

- Currently young people in England consume almost three times the recommended amount of sugar.

The campaign was launched last year and can be found here.