Representative image NEW DELHI: Despite strong evidence linking alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages to cancers, liver disease, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and road injuries, both products are becoming more affordable in India, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned, calling weak tax design across South-East Asia a major public-health failure.Across two recent global reports, the WHO ranks South-East Asia — including India — among the weakest regions on health-oriented taxation. While taxes exist, they have failed to curb consumption because they are not linked to alcohol strength or sugar content, nor adjusted for inflation or rising incomes. As a result, prices fall in real terms even as health harms rise.On alcohol, the Global Report on Alcohol and Health and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders notes that only about one-quarter of countries worldwide automatically adjust excise taxes for inflation. South-East Asia performs especially poorly on alcohol-content–based taxation, which WHO considers the most effective deterrent. Instead, flat or category-based taxes allow high-strength alcohol and binge drinking to remain affordable.Doctors say the consequences are already visible. Dr Sharad Malhotra, Senior Consultant & Director, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aakash Healthcare, said hospitals are seeing younger patients with advanced liver disease, alcohol-related cancers, heart problems and mental health disorders linked to heavy drinking. Rising incomes, celebrity promotion and peer pressure, he warned, are fuelling binge drinking among youth. “When alcohol keeps getting cheaper, we are effectively subsidising future disease and premature deaths,” he said.WHO identifies alcohol as a leading risk factor for premature death and disability, contributing to liver cirrhosis, cancers, cardiovascular disease, injuries and violence. The burden is shifting rapidly to low- and middle-income countries like India, where consumption is rising faster than policy responses.A similar pattern is seen with sugary drinks. The WHO Global Report on the Use of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes 2025 found that the median total tax on a 330-ml sugary carbonated drink in South-East Asia is about 22.7%, but most of this comes from GST or VAT — broad consumption taxes that do little to reduce intake. The excise component remains weak.Excise taxes on sugary drinks exist in six of eight South-East Asia countries, including India, but levels are too low to significantly reduce consumption. Rising incomes have again outpaced price increases, making sugary drinks progressively cheaper.Dr Anoop Misra of Fortis C-DOC said sugary drinks are driving obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease, increasingly in adolescents and young adults, warning that many packaged fruit juices contain as much sugar as soft drinks.WHO says weak tax design blunts impact, as fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees are often lightly taxed, allowing consumers to switch products rather than cut intake. Only 25% of countries tax sugary drinks based on sugar content.Consumer policy expert Prof Bejon Kumar Misra of Healthy You Foundation said India’s GST-heavy approach weakens the health signal. “When taxes are not linked to alcohol strength or sugar content and not adjusted for inflation, harmful products become more affordable as incomes rise. Strong excise taxes work; GST-heavy systems do not,” he said.WHO says strong excise taxes cut disease, reduce healthcare costs and raise revenue. Without reform, alcohol and sugary drinks will keep getting cheaper, shifting the burden of preventable illness to health systems.About the AuthorAnuja JaiswalAnuja Jaiswal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India, with an impressive 18-year career in narrative journalism. She specializes in health and heritage reporting, expertly simplifying complex health information to make it engaging and understandable for readers. Her deep dives into heritage topics are well-researched, resulting in captivating narratives that resonate with her audience. Over the years, she has worked in Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and West UP, gaining diverse on-ground experience that shapes her storytelling.Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideosBoost For India’s Defence Exports: Rajnath Flags Off First Batch Of Pinaka Guided Rockets To Armenia’MOUs Close To 1L Cr’: Himanta Biswa Sarma Seeks Investment As Assam Makes Davos Debut”Visit Marks Milestone In Strengthening India-UAE Partnership…” MEA On The Visit Of UAE PresidentIndia-US Trade Talks Ongoing In Complex Environment, Says Mukesh AghiBangladesh Admits 645 Minority Incidents In 2025 But Downplays Communal Angle Amid Hindu KillingsBJP Picks Nitin Nabin As National President,To Take Charge January 20“…We Find Threatening”: Poland Raises Alarm Over India’s Role In Russia Zapad ExercisesMore Than Optics: Why PM Modi’s Rare Airport Gesture For UAE President Matters For India’s StrategyWhat Does Pak Field Marshal Asim Munir Mean By Pakistan’s ‘Purpose’ And What It Means For IndiaUnnao Rape Case: Delhi HC Rejects Kuldeep Sengar’s Plea To Suspend Sentence123PhotostoriesBaby names inspired by celestial bodiesThese 5 animals sleep most of the day, and here’s why8 baby boy names taken from famous literature and poetry with a twistFake Sweet Potato in the market? 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NEW DELHI: Despite strong evidence linking alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages to cancers, liver disease, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and road injuries, both products are becoming more affordable in India, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned, calling weak tax design across South-East Asia a major public-health failure.Across two recent global reports, the WHO ranks South-East Asia — including India — among the weakest regions on health-oriented taxation. While taxes exist, they have failed to curb consumption because they are not linked to alcohol strength or sugar content, nor adjusted for inflation or rising incomes. As a result, prices fall in real terms even as health harms rise.On alcohol, the Global Report on Alcohol and Health and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders notes that only about one-quarter of countries worldwide automatically adjust excise taxes for inflation. South-East Asia performs especially poorly on alcohol-content–based taxation, which WHO considers the most effective deterrent. Instead, flat or category-based taxes allow high-strength alcohol and binge drinking to remain affordable.Doctors say the consequences are already visible. Dr Sharad Malhotra, Senior Consultant & Director, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Aakash Healthcare, said hospitals are seeing younger patients with advanced liver disease, alcohol-related cancers, heart problems and mental health disorders linked to heavy drinking. Rising incomes, celebrity promotion and peer pressure, he warned, are fuelling binge drinking among youth. “When alcohol keeps getting cheaper, we are effectively subsidising future disease and premature deaths,” he said.WHO identifies alcohol as a leading risk factor for premature death and disability, contributing to liver cirrhosis, cancers, cardiovascular disease, injuries and violence. The burden is shifting rapidly to low- and middle-income countries like India, where consumption is rising faster than policy responses.A similar pattern is seen with sugary drinks. The WHO Global Report on the Use of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes 2025 found that the median total tax on a 330-ml sugary carbonated drink in South-East Asia is about 22.7%, but most of this comes from GST or VAT — broad consumption taxes that do little to reduce intake. The excise component remains weak.Excise taxes on sugary drinks exist in six of eight South-East Asia countries, including India, but levels are too low to significantly reduce consumption. Rising incomes have again outpaced price increases, making sugary drinks progressively cheaper.Dr Anoop Misra of Fortis C-DOC said sugary drinks are driving obesity, type-2 diabetes and heart disease, increasingly in adolescents and young adults, warning that many packaged fruit juices contain as much sugar as soft drinks.WHO says weak tax design blunts impact, as fruit juices, sweetened milk drinks and ready-to-drink teas and coffees are often lightly taxed, allowing consumers to switch products rather than cut intake. Only 25% of countries tax sugary drinks based on sugar content.Consumer policy expert Prof Bejon Kumar Misra of Healthy You Foundation said India’s GST-heavy approach weakens the health signal. “When taxes are not linked to alcohol strength or sugar content and not adjusted for inflation, harmful products become more affordable as incomes rise. Strong excise taxes work; GST-heavy systems do not,” he said.WHO says strong excise taxes cut disease, reduce healthcare costs and raise revenue. Without reform, alcohol and sugary drinks will keep getting cheaper, shifting the burden of preventable illness to health systems.
