Scotland bans sweets and fizzy drinks from supermarket checkouts and entrances from Thursday

From the Newshound archive · first published 28 September 2026.

Major supermarkets in Scotland — including Tesco, Asda, Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose — must from Thursday October 1 move products such as fizzy drinks, sweets, biscuits and breakfast cereals away from checkout areas, aisle ends and store entrances. The regulations apply to any business employing more than 50 people and cover in-store and online retail along with shops in train stations and transport hubs. Free refills of sugary drinks are also banned under the rules, which the Scottish Parliament approved last year.

England and Wales introduced equivalent restrictions earlier, making Scotland the last part of Great Britain to implement them.

Scottish Public Health Minister Maree Todd said that two thirds of Scottish adults are overweight or obese, with the heaviest burden falling on the poorest communities.

Shoppers in England and Wales can reclaim money through a separate deposit return scheme that also takes effect this week.