In an official announcement released by the World Health Organization on Tuesday, December 5th, it was disclosed that a staggering 2.6 million individuals meet their demise annually due to alcohol consumption, with an additional eight million succumbing to the consequences of an unhealthy diet.
Addressing this alarming scenario, the WHO has urged for heightened taxes on both alcoholic beverages and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to mitigate the fatalities associated with these habits.
Fresh data made public by the WHO on Tuesday underscored the global inadequacy of taxes on products deemed unhealthy, such as alcohol and SSBs.
The revelations brought to light that the majority of nations neglect to leverage taxes as a means to encourage healthier lifestyles.
An interesting observation is that half of the countries imposing taxes on SSBs also extend these taxes to water, a practice not endorsed by the WHO. Although 108 countries levy some form of tax on sugar-sweetened beverages, the global average for excise tax, earmarked for specific consumer products, amounts to a mere 6.6 percent of the soda's price.
A deeper dive into the statistics reveals that at least 148 countries apply excise taxes on alcoholic beverages at the national level. However, a notable exception is wine, exempt from excise taxes in 22 countries, primarily in the European region.
On a global scale, the excise tax constitutes an average of 17.2 percent of the price for the most popular brand of beer and 26.5 percent for the leading spirits type, as highlighted by the WHO.
Drawing from a 2017 study, it was found that imposing taxes resulting in a 50 percent hike in alcohol prices could avert more than 21 million deaths over a span of 50 years, generating an additional revenue of nearly $17 trillion.
This figure is comparable to the combined government revenue of eight of the world's largest economies in a single year.
In advocating for taxing unhealthy products, the WHO emphasizes the creation of healthier populations, triggering a positive ripple effect across society. This approach leads to reduced instances of disease and debilitation, while also generating revenue for governments to enhance public services. Specifically, in the case of alcohol, taxes play a pivotal role in preventing violence and road traffic injuries, as asserted by WHO's Director for Health Promotion, Dr. Rűdiger Krech.
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