Increase taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks, WHO urges

The World Health Organization has urged countries to apply more taxes on alcohol and sugary sweetened beverages, as latest data show that most countries are not using taxes to incentivise healthier behaviours.1In its global reports on alcohol and sugary drink taxes published on 5 December,23 WHO highlighted that 2.6 million people worldwide die from drinking alcohol every year and more than eight million die from an unhealthy diet. It said that more taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks would reduce these deaths.Rüdiger Krech, WHO director of health promotion, said, “Taxing unhealthy products creates healthier populations. It has a positive ripple effect across society—less disease and debilitation, and revenue for governments to provide public services. In the case of alcohol, taxes also help prevent violence and road traffic injuries.”WHO wants excise taxes for specific consumer products to apply to all alcoholic beverages and sugar sweetened drinks. It noted that, while at…
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