In secondary schools — where soft
drinks are
available for sale — they are sold in non-branded
vending machines and a full selection of
drinks is
available including waters, juices and no and low calorie products alongside regular varieties.
Clearly children's diets need attention, and there have been a number of initiatives to break the unhealthy eating habit, including: The National Healthy Schools Programme (1998 to 2009), which included healthy and nutritious foods being made
available in school canteens and
vending machines; The School Food Plan, (launched in 2015), which provided a new set of standards for all food served in schools, offering children more healthy, balanced diets, and withdrawing the provision of unhealthy snacks and
drinks in school
vending machines; and the much - publicised new sugar tax, which will be imposed on companies according to the sugar content of the energy and fizzy
drinks they produce.