WHO Urges Action as Cheap Drinks Fuel Disease and Injury
Geneva: Cheaper drinks are quietly reshaping global health, and not for the better. From sugar-laden beverages to alcoholic drinks, falling real prices are driving a rise in preventable diseases and injuries, particularly among children and young adults, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned today.
In two new global reports released in Geneva, WHO said consistently low and poorly designed taxes have allowed sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages to become more affordable in most countries, even as health systems struggle under the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and injuries. The result, the agency cautioned, is a widening gap between corporate profits and public health costs borne by societies.
“Sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages are getting cheaper in most parts of the world,” WHO said, noting that this trend is fueling higher consumption and contributing to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers, violence, and injuries. The impact is particularly severe for children and young people, whom WHO identified as especially vulnerable because lower prices increase early and frequent consumption.
“Health taxes are one of the strongest tools we have for promoting health and preventing disease,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “By increasing taxes on products like tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol, governments can reduce harmful consumption and unlock funds for vital health services.”
WHO’s analysis shows that while many countries have introduced taxes on harmful drinks, these measures are often too weak, narrowly applied, or left unchanged for years. As incomes rise and inflation erodes tax value, such products steadily become more affordable. Meanwhile, public health systems face mounting costs from illnesses and injuries that WHO says are largely preventable.
The global market for sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages generates billions of dollars in profit each year. Yet governments capture only a small fraction of this value through health-motivated taxes, leaving societies to shoulder long-term health and economic consequences, including lost productivity, rising healthcare expenditure, and avoidable deaths.
On sugary drinks, WHO found that at least 116 countries impose some form of tax, most commonly on carbonated soft drinks. However, many other high-sugar beverages — including packaged fruit drinks and ready-to-drink coffees and teas — often escape taxation entirely. While 97 per cent of countries tax energy drinks, this figure has remained unchanged since 2023, and tax rates remain relatively low. Across countries, the median sugary-drink tax accounts for only about two per cent of the retail price of a common sugary soda.
Alcohol taxes are more widespread but no more effective, according to WHO. At least 167 countries levy taxes on alcoholic beverages, while 12 ban alcohol altogether. Despite this, alcohol has become more affordable or remained unchanged in price in most countries since 2022, as tax rates have failed to keep pace with inflation and income growth. Wine remains untaxed in at least 25 countries, most of them in Europe, despite well-documented health risks.
“More affordable alcohol drives violence, injuries and disease,” said Dr Etienne Krug, Director of WHO’s Department of Health Determinants, Promotion and Prevention. WHO stressed that cheaper alcohol contributes not only to chronic illness but also to road traffic injuries, interpersonal violence, and other preventable harms, particularly among young adults.
WHO data show that tax shares on alcohol remain low, with global median excise shares of 14 per cent for beer and 22.5 per cent for spirits. Few countries regularly adjust these taxes for inflation, allowing health-harming products to become steadily cheaper in real terms.
These trends persist despite public support for stronger action. A 2022 Gallup poll found that a majority of people surveyed globally supported higher taxes on alcohol and sugary beverages. WHO argues that this public backing gives governments a strong mandate to act.
Against this backdrop, WHO has launched the ‘3 by 35 Initiative’, a global effort to increase the real prices of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50 per cent by 2035 through tax increases tailored to national contexts. The initiative comes at a time when official development assistance is declining, and countries face growing pressure to finance health systems domestically while pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals.
WHO estimates that well-designed health taxes under the initiative could reduce consumption of harmful products while mobilising an additional US$ 1 trillion in public revenue globally over the next decade. A recent analysis suggests that a one-time tax increase sufficient to raise prices by 50 per cent could generate up to US$ 3.7 trillion in new revenue globally within five years, equivalent to about 0.75 per cent of global GDP.
Noncommunicable diseases are already the leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Tobacco alone causes more than seven million deaths each year, while alcohol and sugary drinks significantly compound the global disease burden. WHO warns that without stronger, better-designed taxes, cheaper drinks will continue to undermine health, economic productivity, and sustainable development.
The ‘3 by 35 Initiative’ is designed as a collaborative alliance. WHO will coordinate with development partners, civil society organisations, academic institutions, and national governments to support the design, implementation, and enforcement of effective health tax policies. This includes technical assistance on legal frameworks, tax administration, policy advocacy, and public engagement. Partner organisations include the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the NCD Alliance, and several global public health networks.
At a time of growing fiscal constraints and rising demand for healthcare, WHO says health taxes offer a practical path forward — reducing reliance on external aid while protecting populations from avoidable harm.
“Health taxes are not only smart economics,” WHO said. “They are essential tools for saving lives and building more resilient societies.”
– global bihari bureau
