Two things are certain death and taxes. The World Health Organization, perhaps inspired by this spirit of mind attributed to Benjamin Franklin, proposes to use massively to delay the other.
The WHO launched on Tuesday a new initiative encouraging its Member States to “increase the real prices of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks of at least 50% by 2035”.
The goal: “to reduce chronic diseases and generate essential income for public funds”, said a press release published on the occasion of the Seville conference on development funding.
Nicknamed “3 by 35”, this initiative “occurs at a time when health systems are under enormous pressure due to the increase in the number of patients with non -transmitted diseases (MNT), the reduction in development aid and the increase in public debt”, underlines the UN organization.
In fact taxing this kind of product has demonstrated its effectiveness to lower consumption.
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire, mayor of New York in the 2000s and a ferocious opposing smoking, has successfully taxed cigarettes.
“Health taxes are one of the most effective tools we have,” said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, WHO responsible for promoting health prevention and control.
“They reduce the consumption of harmful products and generate income that governments can reinvest in health care, education and social protection. It’s time to act, ”he insists.
The consumption of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks fuels the epidemic of non -transmitted diseases, underlines the WHO.
According to organizational statistics, MNTs, which include heart disease, cancer and diabetes, represent more than 75% of all deaths in the world. According to WHO, “a single 50% increase in prices in these products could prevent 50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years”.
The organization even sets an “ambitious but achievable” objective: to collect US dollars for the next 10 years.
“Between 2012 and 2022, nearly 140 countries increased tobacco taxes, which resulted in an increase in real prices of more than 50% on average, showing that large -scale changes are possible,” said WHO.
