The World Health Organisation (WHO) has urged governments to turn up the heat on sugary drinks and alcohol by sharply increasing taxes, arguing that cheaper prices are costing lives.
According to the global health body, sugar-laden beverages and alcohol are sold at pocket-friendly prices in many countries, making them easy prey for consumers and quietly stoking obesity, diabetes, cancer and injuries.
“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 Ghebreyesus told journalists virtually on Tuesday.
“At the same time, they generate an income stream that governments can use to invest in health, education and social protection.”
WHO findings show that at least 116 countries currently impose taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks. However, the net still has wide holes, as many products such as carbonated sodas, 100 per cent fruit juices with high sugar content, sweetened milk drinks, and ready-to-drink coffees and teas often slip through untaxed.
On alcohol, the organisation noted that 167 countries levy taxes on beer, wine and spirits. Yet, in many places, alcohol has effectively become cheaper since 2022 because tax rates have not kept pace with inflation and rising incomes.
“A cold and sweet pick-me-up from your local coffee shop on a hot day can have detrimental consequences, if consumed regularly,” the report warned.
WHO linked high consumption of sugary drinks to weight gain, obesity, Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other health problems, including dental decay and osteoporosis.
Alcohol, it added, takes a heavy toll as well, raising maternal and child health risks, increasing exposure to infectious and non-infectious diseases, harming mental health and heightening the chances of injuries to both drinkers and those around them.
The organisation stressed that when taxes rise, consumption falls — a simple equation with powerful results.
To prove the point, the WHO chief pointed to the United Kingdom, which introduced a sugary drinks tax in 2018. The policy cut sugar intake, generated £338 million in revenue in 2024 alone, and reduced obesity rates among girls aged 10 and 11, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
WHO is now calling on governments to not only raise but also redesign health taxes as part of a broader initiative to curb tobacco use and excessive intake of alcohol and sugary drinks, insisting that fiscal policy can be a scalpel, not just a sledgehammer, in the fight for public health.
