Health Taxes: A Wise Move for Public Health

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Sin tax or health tax as some people refer to it, where the government imposes higher tax rate on items that seem toxic to our health especially when taken in excess, such as alcohol, sugary drinks, etc, to curb the amount taken by users or totally discourage them from taking them at all.

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Revenue generated from such taxes is usually allocated to fund other health-related services to improve health or raise awareness of how we could lead a better life. So is it a good thing for such taxes to be enacted considering the long-term damage these substances cause to the body, I agree that it is a wise move to take by the government

I was watching a health program recently and was shocked to know that the most sufferers of kidney failures today are not older people anymore but young adults, some of which were caused by excess consumption of alcohol in a bid to enjoy life to the fullest and forget their sorrows for some, not that it cures the problem, only for their lives to be cut short at an early stage due to pong term excess intake

I remember those days when alcohol was not easy to afford or come by like it is today, the manufacturers keep increasing with even more affordable brands and quantity, and you see youths carry sachets of alcohol anyhow on the streets, they keep buying from morning to night because it seems cheap before the day ends if you check the total volume of alcohol taken it definitely has exceeded the normal range if they are to even take it at all

So increasing the tax rates on products like this would help curb the consumption rate to moderate if not totally eradicate it, and also reduce the burden on our healthcare system, as people would be forced to take their health seriously, involuntarily, as they would be forced to not overspend.

Some ads/ awareness run by the government like warnings on smoking and how it is bad for their health are also funded by revenues gotten from sin tax, Creating this awareness through these funds will further persuade the people who consume such toxic substances to put a stop to it.

The rate at which people suffer from different ailments these days is attributed to the long-term use of these products, even sugary drinks, imagine coke, for instance, weren't that affordable, I know of a friend who could take up to five bottles in a day, because it is cheap and seem harmless, she like consuming every food she eats with carbonated drinks, forgetting that she is creating an avenue for diabetes as she age, she might not see the effect now, but our body will definitely tell us at old age if we took care of ourself well or not.

Some might argue that the government would be overstepping on its right to these substances If this law is enacted, it's better for the government to do something than nothing at all, though they might not be aware of the benefit the government aims to achieve but in long term, they will

Thank you for reading ❤❤

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4 comments

I agree. These taxes would help fund awareness campaigns and healthcare services. It's a smart measure to prevent diseases and ease the burden on the healthcare system in the long run

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That's right

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Raising taxes on these goods is not a solution, because they will work hard to be able to buy them, awareness of the health risks is needed, perhaps it would be good if the government made alcoholic drinks and cigarettes illegal

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Hmm true though, I guess more awareness is the better solution.

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