Yashaswani Chauhan, Pune
To encourage healthier habits worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on countries to increase taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks. According to WHO, every year, 2.6 million people lose their lives due to alcohol consumption, and more than eight million succumb to the effects of an unhealthy diet. They suggested that implementing taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks could help reduce these tragic numbers. It would also motivate companies to create and promote healthier products.
The WHO recommends using excise tax on all sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages. The idea is that by making these products more expensive through taxes, people might be less likely to buy and consume them.
Currently, 108 countries have some level of taxation on sugary drinks. The global average for excise taxes on sugary drinks is only about 6.6 percent of the price of a soda. WHO believes this is not enough to make a significant impact. They also pointed out that half of these countries tax water, something the WHO doesn’t recommend.
Rudiger Krech, WHO’s health promotion director, explained that taxing unhealthy products doesn’t just benefit individuals; it has positive effects on society as a whole. It can lead to less sickness, better overall health, and even provide governments with more money to support public services. Taxes on products like alcoholic beverages would also help prevent violence and road accident incidences.
The drinks industry argues that higher alcohol taxes could disproportionately affect the poorest individuals. WHO acknowledges this concern but emphasizes that it overlooks the disproportionate harm per liter for alcohol consumers in lower socio-economic groups.
WHO’s assistant director-general Ailan Li, mentioned that, with time, alcoholic beverages have become more affordable, but it can be curbed with well-designed alcohol tax and pricing policies.
WHO’s recommendations aim to create a healthier global population by addressing the impact of alcohol and sugary drinks on public health and encouraging policies that lead to positive changes in behavior and consumption patterns.