Sheinbaum is asked to impose taxes on soft drinks, tobacco, and alcohol.

After the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended taxing products whose consumption is harmful to health, civil society organizations asked Sheinbaum to heed the call.

"The WHO, through its '3 by 35' proposal presented on July 2 of this year, has taken a very important step by calling for the establishment of high taxes on sugary drinks, tobacco, and alcohol, reaching 50% by 2035 ," the Alliance for Food Safety (ASA) said in a statement.

The organization, which brings together more than 20 organizations, urgently called on the Mexican government to impose high taxes on these products , which, it asserted, have become the leading cause of illness and premature death.

He recalled that, according to the report "Healthy Taxes. More Resources for Public Health ," the consumption of these products represents high economic costs in proportion to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : 2.07% for alcohol, 0.57% for tobacco, and 1.78% for obesity and overweight, which are risk factors associated with sugary drinks and ultra-processed foods.

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However, the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) levied on sugary drinks, alcohol, tobacco, and ultra-processed foods together represents only 0.6% of GDP , demonstrating that the IEPS is insufficient to compensate for the damage caused by industries.

"The evidence of the harm and costs associated with consuming these products and the need to tax them to ensure not only the health of the population but also public finances has led the World Bank and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to support the Healthy Tax initiative ," he noted.

In response, he said that health taxes are not only part of a recommendable and desirable policy, but are a necessity for the financial viability of the health system and for a comprehensive health policy for the Mexican population.

He asserted that the central objectives of the WHO proposal are: to reduce harmful consumption by reducing affordability, raise revenue to finance health and development, and generate broad political support across various ministries, civil society, and universities.

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