Drop that drink and get away from the bar. The World Health Organization (WHO) is concerned about the global rate of alcohol consumption and issued recommendations Tuesday calling for higher tax rates as well as price controls to keep alcohol out of reach.
These measures were made public as WHO prepares for a conference in Europe on how to limit alcohol consumption and access through regulation and control.
“Alcohol pricing and taxation policies are among the most effective and cost-effective measures to reduce alcohol consumption and harm, but most countries in the WHO European Region are still not using these essential tools at their full potential,” he said.
The ban on the sale of alcohol remains a consistent theme for the UN organization.
new @WHO The report highlights the growing use of complex online alcohol marketing strategies targeting youth despite the obvious health risks. We call for stronger and more consistent regulation of alcohol marketing to save and improve the lives of young people around the world. https://t.co/sq2Yz8atNJ
– Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (@DrTedros) 10 May 2022
The WHO is basing its latest effort to tighten controls on a desire to curb drinkers who find their favorite beverage to stay (relatively) cheap, as prices for other commodities soared amid inflation. It claims:
Alcohol has become more affordable in the European Region in recent years, as alcohol prices are not adjusted for inflation in most countries, and alcohol has become cheaper compared to other goods purchased by consumers. One step that could hinder this development is the introduction of a minimum price at which alcoholic beverages cannot be legally sold.
The headline of the WHO report is “There is no place for cheap alcohol. The potential value of floor prices to save lives” and the call for bans for certain types and categories, pointing out that alcohol is responsible for nearly one million deaths each year in Europe.
The European Region has the highest rate of alcohol-related deaths at around 12 percent for men and eight percent for women.
Australia currently monitors alcohol consumption and in some cases confiscates alcoholic beverages in areas under strict quarantine. https://t.co/ajxK5dBGNO
– Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 9, 2021
He also argues that freedom of choice brings with it other problems: “Alcohol-related disorders are just the tip of the iceberg. Alcohol consumption causes cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases, cancer and injury, and increases mortality in many different contexts.”
The report points out that the lowest unit price affects the cost of cheap hard alcohol as it relates to the drink’s alcohol content.
In January, WHO released its first Global Strategy to Reduce the Harmful Use of Alcohol, and Tuesday’s move was a continuation of efforts to rid the world of the temptation to drink through stronger regulation and control.
Source: Breitbart
