WHO recommends increasing taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks

After studying tax rates, the WHO found that the global average tax on such “unhealthy products” is currently low. Meanwhile, 2.6 million people die each year from alcohol consumption and 8 million from unhealthy diets.

That is why WHO recommends imposing excise taxes on sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages. According to the UN health agency, such taxes would not only help reduce the use of these products but also encourage companies to create products that are better for consumers' health.

WHO points out that although 108 countries currently impose some form of tax on sugary drinks, globally the average excise tax accounts for only 6.6% of the price of soft drinks. Fifty percent of these countries tax regular drinks, but WHO does not recommend such a tax.

WHO Director of Health Promotion, Rudiger Krech, said that taxing unhealthy products would create a healthy population. This would have a positive impact on society as a whole, reducing disease and disability and generating revenue for government budgets that could be allocated to essential public services. In the case of alcohol, taxation would also help prevent violence and injuries from road traffic accidents.

Also on December 5, WHO issued a handbook to guide its 194 member states on how to tax and regulate alcohol. According to the agency, minimum pricing, including taxes, can curb the consumption of cheap alcohol, reducing hospitalizations, deaths, traffic violations and alcohol-related crimes.

WHO added that a reputable research body has shown that alcoholics tend to use the cheapest alcoholic drinks.

In addition, the WHO notes that 148 countries around the world have imposed domestic excise taxes on alcoholic beverages. However, at least 22 countries, mostly in Europe, exempt wine from the tax. Globally, the average excise tax on the top-selling beer brand is 17.2%, while the same tax on the top-selling wine brand is 26.5%.