The World Health Organization issued an urgent call Tuesday for governments worldwide to dramatically increase taxes on sugary beverages and alcohol, warning that dangerously low prices are fueling epidemics of obesity, diabetes, and preventable deaths, according to APP.
“Health taxes have been shown to reduce consumption of these harmful products, helping to prevent disease and reduce the burden on health systems,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared in a virtual briefing, framing fiscal policy as a matter of public survival.
Two new reports expose troubling gaps in global taxation strategies. While 116 countries impose levies on carbonated soft drinks, substantial loopholes persist fruit juices, sweetened milk beverages, and ready to drink coffees escape taxation entirely, despite comparable sugar content. Meanwhile, although 167 nations tax alcoholic products, prices have remained stagnant or declined in most markets since 2022, as governments fail to adjust rates for inflation and income growth.
The consequences are stark. Regular consumption of sugar-laden beverages correlates with elevated risks of obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dental decay, and osteoporosis. Alcohol consumption threatens maternal and child health, increases vulnerability to communicable and chronic diseases, damages mental wellbeing, and heightens injury risks.
Yet taxation works, the WHO insists, pointing to Britain’s 2018 sugar tax as compelling evidence. The levy reduced national sugar consumption, generated £338 million in revenue during 2024 alone, and lowered obesity rates among ten and eleven year old girls, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
“Governments can use this income stream to invest in health, education and social protection,” Tedros emphasized, positioning the initiative as both preventive medicine and fiscal opportunity.
The WHO’s campaign forms part of a broader offensive targeting tobacco, alcohol, and excessive sugar consumption, three pillars of what health officials characterize as a preventable public health catastrophe. The agency urges nations to redesign tax structures immediately, transforming price signals into life-saving interventions.
As affordability continues enabling overconsumption, the WHO frames the choice starkly: governments can either tax harmful products now or bear escalating healthcare costs indefinitely.
