WHO Urges Higher Taxes on Sugary Drinks & Alcohol to Reduce Cancer and Diabetes

Why Taxing Sugary Drinks & Alcohol Matters for Health

Sugary drinks (such as sodas, sweetened milks and juice drinks) and alcoholic beverages are linked to a range of serious health conditions:

• Diabetes: Regular consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases the risk of type 2 diabetes due to excess calorie and sugar intake. (Organisation mondiale de la santé)

• Cancer and Heart Disease: Alcohol is a known carcinogen and contributes to liver, breast and colorectal cancers, as well as cardiovascular disease. (Organisation mondiale de la santé)

• Obesity and Dental Issues: Sugary drinks are a major source of “free sugars,” contributing to weight gain, tooth decay and metabolic disorders. (Organisation mondiale de la santé)

Despite these risks, affordability has increased because taxes in many nations remain too low or are not regularly adjusted for inflation. This trend keeps prices of harmful drinks accessible for children, adolescents, and adults, undermining efforts to improve public health. (Organisation mondiale de la santé)

What WHO Is Recommending

In the latest data and its 3 by 35 initiative, WHO is calling on countries to:

1. Raise Real Prices Through Stronger Taxation

WHO recommends raising taxes on sugary drinks and alcohol so that their real prices increase over time, outpacing income growth and inflation. (Organisation mondiale de la santé) This would make high-sugar and alcoholic beverages less affordable and help lower consumption patterns associated with cancer, diabetes, and other NCDs.

2. Broaden Tax Coverage

While more than 100 countries currently tax some sugary drinks, many high-sugar products — such as fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks and ready-to-drink coffees and teas — escape taxation, weakening the impact of existing policies. (NEWSVERGE)

3. Use Tax Revenue for Public Health

Higher taxes can also unlock funding for essential health services, including prevention, education, and treatment programs, helping governments cope with rising health system costs linked to NCDs. (Organisation mondiale de la santé)

Global Tax Trends and Challenges

Despite the clear evidence supporting health taxes:

• Alcohol taxes are still low in most countries, with median excise tax shares around 14% for beer and 22.5% for spirits — far below levels needed to meaningfully curb consumption. (Organisation mondiale de la santé)

• Sugary drink taxes often add only about 2% to the price of a soda, leaving them cheap relative to healthier alternatives. (tennews.in: National News Portal)

• Few countries adjust tax rates in line with inflation or income, allowing these harmful products to become relatively cheaper over time. (Andalucía Información)

These factors contribute to rising global rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and alcohol-related health harms, and place increasing strain on public health systems worldwide. (El País)

Success Stories and Evidence

Real-world examples show that health taxes can work:

• In countries like Mexico, increases in sugary drink taxes have been linked to reduced consumption and increased public revenue earmarked for health goals. (Mexico Business News)

• Evidence from academic studies shows that even modest increases in sugary drink taxes can lead to measurable drops in purchases and consumption. (Reddit)

Additionally, WHO’s broader data suggests that raising prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks by at least 50% by 2035 could generate significant public health benefits, including millions of lives saved over decades. (News24)

Conclusion: A Global Call to Action

The WHO’s call to raise drink taxes is grounded in strong public health evidence showing that fiscal policies can effectively reduce consumption of unhealthy products while generating resources for essential health services. As countries grapple with mounting NCD burdens — including escalating rates of diabetes and cancer — taxation policy remains a powerful tool to protect population health, promote healthier lifestyles, and reduce preventable disease. (NEWSVERGE)