The Distilled Spirits Council of the US (Discus) has expressed concern over The World Health Organization’s (WHO) latest initiative that urges countries to implement higher taxes on alcohol.
The United Nations agency’s ‘3 by 35’ proposal, announced this week, encourages governments to leverage the price of alcohol, as well as tobacco and sugared drinks, raising them by at least 50% through “health taxes” by 2035. The measure is designed “to curb chronic diseases and generate critical public revenue”.
A subsequent statement from US trade association Discus, however, has claimed that the “suggestion that raising taxes will prevent alcohol-related harm is misguided”. Discus’s senior VP of science & research, Amanda Berger, added that “evidence shows raising taxes or prices does not deter alcohol abusers, but does unfairly raise costs for responsible consumers”.
“Such taxes may have unintended consequences, including on illicit alcohol, which poses a significant public health threat,” Berger added.
“The distilled spirits industry fully supports evidence-based solutions to combat alcohol abuse and is committed to making positive contributions to reducing alcohol-related harm. While there is more work to be done, the 2024 WHO ‘Global Status Report’ demonstrates that alcohol-related mortality has declined more than 20% since 2010.”
In February, the WHO added its voice to the rising demand for cancer-related warning labels to feature on alcoholic beverages.
