Which pushes countries to raise prices in sugar beverages, alcohol, smoke by 50%

The World Health Organization pushes countries to raise the prices of sugary beverages, alcohol and tobacco by 50% over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest support for taxes to deal with chronic public health problems.

The United Nations Health Service said that the move would help reduce consumption of products, which contribute to diseases such as diabetes and some cancers, as well as raising money at a time when growth helps shrink and increase public debt.

“Health taxes are one of the most effective tools we have,” said Jeremy Farrar, who assistant to the general health promotion and prevention and control of diseases. “It’s time to act.”

The WHO started the impulse, called “3 to 35” at the UN Development Conference in Seville.

Which stated that its tax initiative could raise $ 1 trillion by 2035 based on health tax data in countries such as Colombia and South Africa.

WHO has supported tobacco taxes and price increases for decades and has requested alcohol and sugar drinks taxes in recent years, but this is the first time it has proposed raising target prices for all three products.

Its general manager Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the conference that taxes could help governments “adapt to the new reality” and strengthen their own health systems with money raised.

Many low and medium -income countries face cuts to assist the spending led by the United States, which do not attend the Seville Congress. The US is also in the process of disconnecting from WHO.

From 4 to $ 10

For example, the initiative would mean a government in a medium -income country that increases product taxes to promote the price from $ 4 today to $ 10 to 2035, taking into account inflation, said which Guillermo Sandoval Health Economist.

Nearly 140 countries had already increased tobacco taxes and therefore prices by more than 50% on average between 2012 and 2022, added.

Sandoval said that the WHO is also considering broader tax recommendations, including over-processed foods, as the Agency completes the definition of this type of food in the coming months. But he added that the organization expects the impetus from the industries involved.

The initiative is also supported by Bloomberg charities, the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and includes support for countries that want to take action.