Geneva – New York: Europe and the Arabs

The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged governments to significantly increase taxes on sugar-sweetened and alcoholic beverages, warning in two new reports that weak tax systems allow harmful products to remain cheap while health systems face increasing financial strain from preventable non-communicable diseases and injuries. According to the UN Daily News, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "Health taxes are one of our most powerful tools for promoting health and preventing disease. By raising taxes on products such as tobacco, sugar-sweetened beverages, and alcohol, governments can reduce harmful consumption and free up funds for vital health services."

The WHO reports that the global market for sugar-sweetened and alcoholic beverages generates billions of dollars in profits, leading to widespread consumption and increased corporate profits. However, governments receive only a relatively small share of these profits through health-related taxes. Products That Escape Taxes

The two reports show that at least 116 countries tax sugar-sweetened beverages, most commonly soft drinks. However, many other high-sugar products, such as fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks, and ready-to-drink coffees and teas, escape taxation.

The organization explained that while 97% of countries tax energy drinks, this figure has remained unchanged since the last global report in 2023.

Violence and Disease
The organization stated that at least 167 countries tax alcoholic beverages, while 12 countries have a complete ban on alcohol. Despite this, alcohol has become more affordable or its price has remained stable in most countries since 2022, as taxes have not kept pace with inflation and income growth.

The organization reported that wine remains untaxed in at least 25 countries, mostly in Europe, despite its clear health risks. Dr. Etienne Krug, Director of the Department of Health Determinants, Health Promotion and Prevention at the WHO, explained that "the low cost of alcohol fuels violence, injuries and illness. While the industry profits from this, the public often bears the health consequences and society bears the economic costs."

The WHO called on countries to raise and redesign taxes as part of its new "3 by 35" initiative, which aims to increase the real prices of three products—tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages—by 2035, thus curbing their price decline over time and helping to protect public health.