coke, sweet coke

 This afternoon a friend of mine offered me a can of cherry coca-cola which was full sugar, i looked at the calories and sugar content and was mortified. A single can (330ml) is 152kcals, with 39 grams of sugar and a 500ml bottle has 210kcals and 54 grams of sugar!! 

Health risks
 Did you know that one or two cans of coca-cola a day can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by over 20%? The daily recommended amount of free sugars for an adult in the UK is 30 grams, so if you are consuming a can or several cans of coke a day along with your usual diet, where you may also be consuming free sugars, you'd be over the daily recommended amount. This poses several severe health risks, not just weight gain and sugar addiction, but metabolic syndromes, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, tooth decay and gout. 

So what are the alternatives?
While it isn't necessary to cut soda out of your diet entirely, it is better to cut down and consume alternatives instead. The best alternative is obviously water, it is proven to have many health benefits and will not cause any of the risks mentioned.

Diet and low sugar/calorie drinks are better than full sugar, but less is better. Cutting down gradually from sugary to diet sodas is a good way to go. 
Water is the safest option of them all, and while it seems boring and flavourless it helps the body in many ways. If water seems to boring for you then try adding a slice of lemon or cucumber or maybe some frozen fruit. Non-caloric flavourings also work well. 
green tea or black tea is a healthy alternative to plain water for people who prefer flavoured drinks. Tea doesnt have any calories and green tea contains an antioxidant called EGCG. Caffeine free teas can also be found in stores if you are looking to cut back on caffeine. 
coffee can be calorie free - if you take it without milk or creamer. They can be low calorie if you use skimmed milk or nut milk such as almond milk. You can also find low-caffeine coffees.
fruit/vegetable juice contain plenty of calories but also contain essential nutrients. each portion contains a serving of fruit or veg, allowing you to get 1 of your 5 a day. 

What should be done about the sale of sugary drinks?
Im not afraid to say that i think sugary drinks such as coca-cola should be banned from stores for several reasons. It should be illegal for a store to sell drinks such as coke and pepsi. Not only do drinks such as these have several risks to someones health, but they can be addictive. Some of the same parts of the brain that are involved in drug addiction are also involved when you eat, allowing the creation of signals similar to those in addiction, when you consume certain foods.

references - https://www.webmd.com/diet/drinking-cola-good-for-you