Geneva: Sugary drinks and alcohol are getting relatively cheaper, the World Health Organization said Tuesday, urging countries to hike taxes to reduce consumption levels and boost health funding.The WHO said consistently low taxes on the products in most countries were fuelling obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancers. "Health taxes are one of the strongest tools we have for promoting health and preventing disease," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. "By increasing taxes on products like tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol, governments can reduce harmful consumption and unlock funds for vital health services. "There is significant room for better design and higher excise taxes on alcoholic beverages to decrease affordability and thereby reduce alcohol consumption and its related harms. "More affordable alcohol "drives violence, injuries and disease", said Etienne Krug, head of the WHO's health determinants, promotion and prevention department.

Source: Economic Times January 14, 2026 07:32 UTC