Health taxes are increasingly recognized as powerful tools designed to promote healthier lifestyles. By targeting products known to harm health, these taxes have the potential of changing consumer behaviour toward healthier choices. Furthermore, an opportunity for reinvestment arises for government by using the revenues for effective health prevention measures.
JA PreventNCD hosted recently a webinar exploring the role of health taxation in NCD prevention. During the webinar we got a closer look on what these taxes are, and what they are not, through a historic overview. The widespread of health taxes was shown by the identification of several segments where health taxation applies, including tobacco, alcohol, sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) and unhealthy foods such as High Fat Sugar and Salt-products (HFSS).
Experts presented compelling evidence of the effectiveness of health taxes, while also addressing potential challenges.
During this session Professor Franco Sassi, from the Imperial College, a leading economist in health policy, provided a comprehensive introduction to health taxes and their role in NCD prevention. Professor Sassi is leading the work on Health Taxation in JA PreventNCDs as a subcontractor. Michele Cecchini, responsible for the OECD programme of work on Public Health, highlighted financial and economic aspects of Health and economic deviance of health taxes. Oliver Gainford, from the Directorate-General for Taxation and Customs Union (DG TAXUD), at the European Commission shared insights into European tax policy in the European member states.
The webinar was moderated by Arnfinn Helleve from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, who leads of Work Package on Regulation and Taxation in JA PreventNCD.
This session is highly relevant for professionals working in public health, NCD prevention and policymaking.
A full recording of the webinar is available here.