According to a recent World Health Organization statement, nations around the world should increase taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages as a way to incentivize healthier behaviors.
Read WHO’s statement below:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is releasing today new data that show a low global rate of taxes being applied to unhealthy products such as alcohol and sugary sweetened beverages (SSBs). The findings highlight that the majority of countries are not using taxes to incentivize healthier behaviours. To help support countries WHO is also releasing a technical manual on alcohol tax policy and administration.
Globally 2.6 million people die from drinking alcohol every year and over 8 million from an unhealthy diet, implementing tax on alcohol and SSBs will reduce these deaths.
Half of all countries taxing SSBs are also taxing water, which is not recommended by WHO. Although 108 countries are taxing some sort of sugar-sweetened beverage, globally, on average excise tax, a tax designated for a specified consumer product, represents just 6.6% of the price of soda.
At least 148 countries have applied excise taxes to alcoholic beverages at the national level. However, wine is exempted from excise taxes in at least 22 countries, most of which are in the European Region. Globally, on average, the excise tax share in the price of the most sold brand of beer is 17.2%. For the most sold brand of the most sold spirits type, it is 26.5%.
A 2017 study shows that taxes that increase alcohol prices by 50% would help avert over 21 million deaths over 50 years and generate nearly US$17 trillion in additional revenues. 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 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,” said Dr Rűdiger Krech, Director, Health Promotion, World Health Organization.
Countries like Lithuania, that increased alcohol tax in 2017 to drive down consumption have decreased deaths from alcohol related diseases. Lithuania increased alcohol tax revenue from 234 million euros in 2016 to 323 million euros in 2018 and saw alcohol-related deaths drop from 23.4 per 100 000 people in 2016 to 18.1 per 100 000 people in 2018.
Research shows that taxing alcohol and SSBs helps cut down use of these products and gives companies a reason to make healthier products. While at the same time tax on these products help prevent injuries and noncommunicable diseases such as cancers, diabetes and heart diseases.
A recent Gallup Poll, conducted in collaboration with WHO and Bloomberg Philanthropies, found that the majority of people surveyed across all countries supported increasing taxes on unhealthy products such as alcohol and SBBs.
WHO recommends that excise tax should apply to all SSBs and alcoholic beverages.
The release of the alcohol tax manual today follows a suite of already existing tax manuals including on tobacco and sugar sweetened beverages.
World Health Organization website
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They must have got that idea from Philadelphia.
They must have got that idea from Philadelphia.
Who made WHO the dictator of my diet?
Who made WHO the dictator of my diet?
How about stopping the toxic fake sugars from being used in soda drinks. Natural sugarcane is a ton better then laboratory created sweeteners. Start doing something good for the population rather then shoot off an ignorant mouth WHO.
You know, what your title implies. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION !!!
Harold Hall,
There exist a few sugars
beneficial at the mitochondria
level, such as glycine (( I take
1/4 teaspoon every morning,
with NAC and C )), but table
sugar ( different molecular
configuration ) and high fructose
corn syrup damage the pan-
creas over time. And the HIGH
energy from table sugar, then
the follow-up LOW energy,
entrains the brain to eventuate
Bi-Polar Disease in adulthood.
Table sugar is POISON !, which
feeds the Medical Mafia’s in-
dustrial anti-nutrition complex,
by lowering immunity to disease,
after EVERY holiday—by eating
celebratory IC , C , and C :
Ice Cream, Cake, and Candy !
Lack of D3 ( sunshine ) during
FALL, then thru WINTER – and
sugary foods and drink –
eventuate COLDS and FLU, not
to mention how CANCERS feed
and grow on SUGAR !
Now, plan how you may avoid
risk of illness !
-Rick
P.S.
More :
https://sharylattkisson.com/2023/09/request-sharyl-attkisson-to-speak-to-your-group/#comment-175467
Harold Hall,
There exist a few sugars
beneficial at the mitochondria
level, such as glycine (( I take
1/4 teaspoon every morning,
with NAC and C )), but table
sugar ( different molecular
configuration ) and high fructose
corn syrup damage the pan-
creas over time. And the HIGH
energy from table sugar, then
the follow-up LOW energy,
entrains the brain to eventuate
Bi-Polar Disease in adulthood.
Table sugar is POISON !, which
feeds the Medical Mafia’s in-
dustrial anti-nutrition complex,
by lowering immunity to disease,
after EVERY holiday—by eating
celebratory IC , C , and C :
Ice Cream, Cake, and Candy !
Lack of D3 ( sunshine ) during
FALL, then thru WINTER – and
sugary foods and drink –
eventuate COLDS and FLU, not
to mention how CANCERS feed
and grow on SUGAR !
Now, plan how you may avoid
risk of illness !
-Rick
P.S.
More :
https://sharylattkisson.com/2023/09/request-sharyl-attkisson-to-speak-to-your-group/#comment-175467
How about stopping the toxic fake sugars from being used in soda drinks. Natural sugarcane is a ton better then laboratory created sweeteners. Start doing something good for the population rather then shoot off an ignorant mouth WHO.
You know, what your title implies. WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION !!!
Typical Liberal idea, instead of educating via root cause, lets tax them! Amazes me how I see commercials funded by our state and fed against cigarette smoking, vaping. But they push like crazy to get “recreational” pot legalized every chance they get. Why don’t we spend more time on organic food operations, cleaning our water systems, etc. But no, lets push for more mind altering substances that WILL cause MORE social problems. Little kids already are finding and eating their “responsible” parents pot “gummies” and other goodies they’re now selling to the low IQ crowd. That word “recreational” has no place in any legalized mind bending drug!
Typical Liberal idea, instead of educating via root cause, lets tax them! Amazes me how I see commercials funded by our state and fed against cigarette smoking, vaping. But they push like crazy to get “recreational” pot legalized every chance they get. Why don’t we spend more time on organic food operations, cleaning our water systems, etc. But no, lets push for more mind altering substances that WILL cause MORE social problems. Little kids already are finding and eating their “responsible” parents pot “gummies” and other goodies they’re now selling to the low IQ crowd. That word “recreational” has no place in any legalized mind bending drug!
I swore off soda years ago and avoid sugar as much as possible (honey and agave for my coffee) but the WHO can stick their recommendation of tax increases up Tedros’ backside!
Of course if the US implements a tax I will either pay it or stop consuming my favorite adult beverages and protest the tax.
Jeff,
I had tried and tried to
get through to physicians
during Haiti’s earthquake
recovery period, where
hundreds had been dying
for LACK Of Anti-Biotics,
needed to stop deadly in-
fections, while one of the
most POWERFUL anti-
biotics was everywhere
to be found in SUGAR-
CANE-producing Haiti :
S U G A R !
Medical Mafia hides that
from public knowledge.
As Jesus
would put
it :
“ Physician, Heal Thyself ! “
Jeff, you have a handle on that.
-Rick
P.S.
At no other time in our history,
have citizens (( not the vulgarity:
“C O N S U M E R S” )) been so
oblivious to food ingredients
posted on package labels.
While chemicals of unknown
types are daily sprayed from
overhead jets (( two days ago,
while parked at a bank, I’d
counted 19 chemical trails
spreading before the setting
sun )) chemicals of unknown
type are secretly being put
in foods; e.g., find a package
of mint-flavored ( artificial ),
you’ll read under ingredients :
“CONTAINS: BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENTS” [[ yes, in capital letters ]]
Ought we not to know what
they are ?
P.P.S.
-of Life Savers,
wintergreen.
P.P.S.
-of Life Savers,
wintergreen.
P.S.
At no other time in our history,
have citizens (( not the vulgarity:
“C O N S U M E R S” )) been so
oblivious to food ingredients
posted on package labels.
While chemicals of unknown
types are daily sprayed from
overhead jets (( two days ago,
while parked at a bank, I’d
counted 19 chemical trails
spreading before the setting
sun )) chemicals of unknown
type are secretly being put
in foods; e.g., find a package
of mint-flavored ( artificial ),
you’ll read under ingredients :
“CONTAINS: BIOENGINEERED FOOD INGREDIENTS” [[ yes, in capital letters ]]
Ought we not to know what
they are ?
Jeff,
I had tried and tried to
get through to physicians
during Haiti’s earthquake
recovery period, where
hundreds had been dying
for LACK Of Anti-Biotics,
needed to stop deadly in-
fections, while one of the
most POWERFUL anti-
biotics was everywhere
to be found in SUGAR-
CANE-producing Haiti :
S U G A R !
Medical Mafia hides that
from public knowledge.
As Jesus
would put
it :
“ Physician, Heal Thyself ! “
Jeff, you have a handle on that.
-Rick
I swore off soda years ago and avoid sugar as much as possible (honey and agave for my coffee) but the WHO can stick their recommendation of tax increases up Tedros’ backside!
Of course if the US implements a tax I will either pay it or stop consuming my favorite adult beverages and protest the tax.