LettersHong Kong’s liquor tax cut makes unhealthy choices the easier choice
Readers warn of the public health impact of encouraging alcohol use and question the economic benefit of the limited cut
In 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the declaration on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases. It called for the implementation of relevant international agreements and strategies, as well as legislative, regulatory and fiscal measures, to create health-promoting environments to reduce the impact of the common non-communicable disease risk factors.
Alcohol is a risk factor for non-communicable diseases affecting almost every part of our body, including the brain, heart, liver and pancreas, according to National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism of United States. A paper published by The Lancet Public Health in January 2023 reported that alcohol is a toxic, psychoactive and dependence-producing substance and a Group 1 carcinogen, as classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. It is causally linked to several types of cancer, such as oesophagus, liver, colorectal and breast cancers. Alcohol consumption is associated with 740,000 new cancer cases each year globally.
Drinking too much can also weaken the immune system. No level of alcohol consumption is safe when it comes to human health, according to a World Health Organization article released in January 2023.
A study was conducted to analyse economic costs to US society attributable to alcohol use. The results, published in PharmacoEconomics in May 2021, found that the economic costs were estimated at 2.6 per cent of gross domestic product.
Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights provides that state parties to the covenant “recognise the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health”. This includes an adequate supply of safe food and nutrition and minimisation of exposure of people to harmful food products. Our legislative, fiscal and regulatory measures should help create environments that make healthy choices the easy choice and unhealthy choices the difficult choice by way of pricing, availability and accessibility.