Can the government really put a tax on sugar?

The evils of sugar have been so widely written about over the past few months that it wouldn't be long before someone decided we should tax it; and that honour goes to chief medical officer Sally Davies.

Sugar is the new diet demon; expanding our waistlines, causing addition, and making our teeth fall out. As a nation we are consuming more and more of it, and it's in everything – including hidden in things you wouldn't expect, from sausage rolls to soup.