World Health Organization: Decline in the Prices of Sugary Drinks and Alcohol Exacerbates Diseases

SadaNews - The World Health Organization has stated that sugary beverages and alcohol remain extremely cheap in most countries worldwide due to low taxes imposed on them, warning that this situation contributes to rising rates of obesity, the spread of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer, as well as injuries, particularly among children and youth.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, January 13, from the organization's headquarters in Geneva, following the publication of two new global reports, the organization called on governments to tighten taxes on these drinks, emphasizing that health taxes are among the most effective tools for disease prevention and promoting public health, as well as providing additional resources to fund healthcare systems.

The statement quoted the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, as saying, "Health taxes are one of the strongest tools available to us to promote health and prevent diseases," stressing that raising taxes on products like tobacco, sugary beverages, and alcohol can reduce harmful consumption and generate revenues directed towards vital health services.

The statement indicated that the global market for sugary drinks and alcohol generates billions of dollars in profits annually, while governments receive only a limited share of these revenues through health taxes, leaving communities to bear the long-term health and economic costs resulting from preventable diseases and injuries.

One of the reports revealed that at least 116 countries impose taxes on sugary drinks, primarily focused on soft drinks, while other sugar-rich products, such as 100% fruit juices, sweetened dairy beverages, and ready-to-drink coffee and tea, often remain untaxed in many countries.

The second report indicated that at least 167 countries impose taxes on alcohol, while 12 countries apply a total ban. Nevertheless, access to alcohol has become more affordable, as most countries have maintained their prices since 2022, due to taxes not keeping pace with inflation and income growth.

The statement quoted the Director of the Department of Health Determinants and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at the organization, Dr. Etienne Krug, as saying that "the drop in alcohol prices leads to increased violence, injuries, and illnesses, and while the industry benefits, the community bears the health and economic burden."

The organization added that the average global tax rate is only 14% on beer and 22.5% on other alcohol, while taxes on sugary drinks account for only about 2% of the price of common soda drinks, and are often levied on a limited range of products.

The organization urged countries to raise and redesign health taxes as part of a new initiative aimed at increasing the real prices of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by 2035, thereby limiting their consumption and protecting public health.

Source: World Health Organization