The organisation in its latest report on alcohol and sugary drink taxes, said the average global tax rate on such “unhealthy products” is low, stressing that hiking taxes could improve consumers’ health.
It said implementing a tax on alcohol and Sugar-Sweetened Beverages (SSB) would reduce deaths caused by them.
“Although 108 countries are taxing some sort of sugar-sweetened beverage, globally, on the average excise tax, a tax designated for a specified consumer product, represents just 6.6 per cent of the price of soda,” WHO said.
Meanwhile, around 148 countries have applied excise taxes to alcoholic beverages at the national level. However, wine is exempted from excise taxes in at least 22 countries, most of which are in Europe, the WHO explained.
The organisation, according to Premium Times, said globally, on average, the excise tax share in the price of the most sold brand of beer is 17.2 per cent but for the most sold brand of the most sold spirits type, it is 26.5 per cent.
