Free drink refills: Diners slam plans to ban sugary drink top-ups in UK nation as 'pointless'

• Proposals have been put forward to ban refills of sugary soft drinks
• The sweeping measures aim to cut back on unhealthy choices - and some BOGOF offers would also be barred
• A consultation has been launched on the plans

Diners have slammed plans to ban refills of sugary soft drinks as “completely pointless” - as proposals to crack down on unhealthy food and drink are unveiled.

The Welsh government has launched a consultation to restrict promotions on sugar-sweetened drinks, including a ban on refills in restaurants and cafes.

The plans also include restricting promotions on unhealthy food, such as buy-one-get-one-free offers, and barring shops from placing foods high in fat, salt and sugar in prominent locations, such as entrances and at the tills.

Welsh health secretary Eluned Morgan said she intended the plans to be the “the first in a package of measures to improve the health of our food environments across Wales and to support the public to live healthier lives.”

How have people responded to the plans?

The proposed ban on free sugary drink top-ups, which are offered in restaurant chains such as Nando's and Five Guys, was branded “ridiculous” by some restaurant-goers. 

Posting on X, one diner said: “Completely pointless - most of the machines that do this default to the zero options.”

Another added: “Personally, I think the places [where] free refills are available in Wales are so few and far between that it really won’t make a difference to what people consume.

“I think they need to concentrate on real issues. Instead of putting resource into thinking up pointless things like this.”

Another added: “Much like the 20mph limit I think there’s logic there and makes sense. You can see why they’d do that. Two glasses of coca cola on a bi-monthly trip to Nandos is not the cause of the obesity crisis.

“But will it ultimately be worth the fury and backlash? People will just blame the government for ruining things. Might be best to keep this to the private businesses.”

In the report, a spokesperson for the Welsh government said the aim of the policy was “is to make the healthy choice the easiest choice for Welsh consumers”.

They added that advertising strategies such as sugary drink refills can “encourage overconsumption” and “contribute to children being overweight or living with obesity”.

Some diners were in support of the measures. One X user said the plans were a “great idea”.

“Obesity from over consumption is the next smoking and it took long enough to deal with tobacco,” they added. “No one needs litres of soft drinks in a sitting.”

The consultation on the proposals is open until September 23. 

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