WHO Recommends Price Rises, Marketing Restrictions to Curb Binge Drinking
Stephanie Nebehay of Reuters reported this week on the World Health Organization’s new series of recommendations as part of its draft global strategy to curb alcohol-related problems such as binge drinking. The primary recommendations include higher alcohol taxes and tighter marketing restrictions. According to the report,
“Consumers, including heavy drinkers and young people, are sensitive to changes in the price of drinks… Increasing the price of alcoholic beverages is one of the most effective interventions to reduce harmful use of alcohol.”
Check out the full report at Reuters and let us know what you think in the comments.
January 13th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
The drinking age must be lowered to 18 along with an alcohol education program. The World Health Organization’s plan to increase the price of alcohol is kind of a good idea. Along with that idea, the WHO should consider a plan for alcohol companies to limit the size of their bottles or cans to a deciliter or less. Binge drinking is a problem for many university students and a price rise in alcohol would help to lessen that problem but a better solution to that problem is to implement the plan by Choose Responsibility.
May 22nd, 2011 at 2:09 pm
I see nothing wrong with raising the taxes on alcohol and/or implementing a price floor (within reason). This would affect all ages and thus have benefits that the 21 drinking age simply cannot provide.