WHO Urges 50% Price Hike on Sugary Drinks and Tobacco to Save Millions of Lives

admin July 4, 2025 2 min read

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially called on countries to raise taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50 percent. This announcement was made during the United Nations Conference on Financing for Development inSeville, Spain, in early July 2025.
This proposal is part of WHO’s new initiative called “3 by 35,” which aims to increase taxes on these products over the next 10 years, with the target set for 2035.
According to WHO, such a tax increase could help prevent 50 million premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases ‘NCDs’ such-as heart disease,, diabetes and cancer within the next 50 years. In addition, it is expected to raise around USD 1 trillion in revenue, which can be used to strengthen healthcare systems globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries.
WHO highlighted that tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks are major contributors to non-communicable diseases. Raising taxes on these products has proven effective in reducing their consumption in various countries.
Countries like Colombia and South Africa have already implemented high taxes on sugary drinks, tobacco, and alcohol. These measures have successfully reduced consumption while increasing tax revenues, which have been allocated to healthcare programs.
WHO emphasized that this initiative is not only about generating government revenue but also about protecting public heallth and reducing the burden of chronic diseases worldwide.