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WHO Pushes Countries to Raise Prices on Sugary Drinks, Alcohol and Tobacco by 50%
- On July 2, 2025, the World Health Organization introduced the "3 by 35" initiative, encouraging countries to implement health taxes that increase the cost of tobacco, alcoholic beverages, and sweetened drinks by at least 50% by 2035.
- This initiative responds to rising noncommunicable diseases causing over 75% of global deaths and strained health systems amid shrinking aid and growing debt.
- Between 2012 and 2022, tobacco taxes were increased in close to 140 nations, leading to an average price rise exceeding 50%, which helped curb consumption and boost government revenue.
- WHO health economist Guillermo Sandoval stated that this approach would involve increasing product prices in middle-income countries from $4 to $10 by 2035, while Jeremy Farrar described health taxes as among the most effective measures available.
- The $1 trillion initiative aims to lower consumption, prevent millions of premature deaths, and strengthen health funding, although WHO expects pushback from industries involved.
70 Articles
70 Articles
Funding international organizations with higher sin taxes not the answer
Should taxpayers around the globe, who dare to take part in activities like smoking and drinking, pay even more in taxes to help fund global organizations that are seeing funding cuts from major countries like the United States?
WHO pushes countries to raise prices on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50%
The World Health Organization is pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50% over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.
WHO push to increase sugary drinks, alcohol, tobacco prices
Sugary drinks are among the products the World Health Organisation is pushing to be taxed at a higher rate. Photo: Getty Images The World Health Organization is pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50% over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.
Raise prices on sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50%, WHO suggests
The World Health Organization is pushing countries to raise the prices of sugary drinks, alcohol and tobacco by 50 per cent over the next 10 years through taxation, its strongest backing yet for taxes to help tackle chronic public health problems.
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