WHO calls on countries to increase taxes on alcohol and sugary sweetened beverages – PAHO/WHO

Geneva, 5 December 2023 – The World Health Organization (WHO) today publishes new data showing that a low overall tax rate applies to unhealthy products such as alcohol and sugary drinks. The findings highlight that most countries are not using Taxes to encourage healthier behaviors.. To help countries, the WHO is also publishing a technical manual on alcohol tax policy and administration.

Globally, 2.6 million people die each year from drinking alcohol and more than 8 million from an unhealthy diet; Implementing taxes on alcohol and sugary drinks will reduce these deaths.

Half of the countries that impose taxes on sugary drinks also do so on water, which is not recommended by the WHO. Although 108 countries are taxing some type of sugary drink, globally, on average, the excise tax, a tax designated for a specific consumer product, represents only 6.6% of the price of soft drinks.

At least 148 countries have applied excise taxes on alcoholic beverages at the national level. However, wine is exempt from excise duty in at least 22 countries, most of which are in the European Region. Globally, on average, the share of excise tax in the price of the best-selling beer brand is 17.2%. For the best-selling brand of the best-selling type of liquor, it is 26.5%.

A 2017 study shows that taxes that increase alcohol prices by 50% would help prevent more than 21 million deaths over 50 years and generate nearly $17 trillion in additional revenue. This is equivalent to the total government revenue of eight of the world’s largest economies in one year.

“Taxing unhealthy products creates healthier populations. It has a positive ripple effect throughout society: less illness and debilitation and revenue for governments to provide public services. In the case of alcohol, taxes also help prevent violence and injuries caused by road traffic accidents,” said Dr. Rűdiger Krech, Director of Health Promotion at the World Health Organization.

Countries like Lithuania, which raised the alcohol tax in 2017 to reduce consumption, have decreased deaths from alcohol-related diseases. Lithuania increased alcohol tax revenue from €234 million in 2016 to €323 million in 2018 and saw alcohol-related deaths fall from 23.4 per 100,000 people in 2016 to 18.1 per 100,000 people in 2018. .

Research shows that taxing alcohol and sugary drinks helps reduce the use of these products and gives companies a reason to make healthier products. While at the same time taxes on these products help prevent injuries and non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

TO Recent Gallup Pollconducted in collaboration with the WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies, found that the majority of people surveyed in all countries supported increasing taxes on unhealthy products such as alcohol and soft drinks.

The WHO recommends that excise taxes be applied to all sugary and alcoholic beverages.

The publication of the alcohol tax manual today follows a set of existing tax manuals that include tobacco and sugary drinks.

2 Comments
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  1. Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.

  2. I don’t think the title of your article matches the content lol. Just kidding, mainly because I had some doubts after reading the article.

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