03.07.2024 - The Swedish government announced its intention to reduce alcohol taxes for economic reasons. IOGT-NTO is strongly critical of this proposal.
"Alcohol causes over a million deaths annually in Europe and is the largest risk factor for cancer after tobacco. That is why we have alcohol policies, to limit the harm," says Lucas Nilsson, chairman of IOGT-NTO.
Research shows that alcohol tax is the most effective measure to reduce alcohol-related harm and mortality. It sends an important signal about the harmful effects of alcohol. Despite this, the value of Swedish alcohol tax has decreased since 2000.
"Alcohol causes harm regardless of how it is produced. That is why the alcohol tax needs to be generally increased. Instead, we see a series of relaxations in alcohol policy from the government. This will lead to more children suffering from the downsides of alcohol, more people developing alcohol-related cancer, and more deaths," continues Lucas Nilsson.
"Studies from the SOM Institute show that more Swedes want to raise alcohol taxes than lower them. The goal of the policy must be to strengthen our public health, not weaken it," concludes Lucas Nilsson.
SOM Institute study on alcohol tax:Hellre höjd än sänkt alkoholskatt
WHO on how raising alcohol taxes can save lives:New WHO initiative shows raising alcohol taxes could save 130,000 lives per year