Government moves forward with health tax measures, aiming to reduce risky behaviors and promote the well-being of Thai people
The Ministry of Public Health and relevant agencies are intensively pushing for a health tax policy, focusing on products that negatively impact health, such as high-sugar beverages, foods with excessive sodium, as well as alcohol and tobacco products. This is intended to regulate public consumption behavior and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
Studies show that the recent increase in cigarette taxes has had a clearly positive impact, reducing the number of youths starting to smoke by 24.44 percent. Furthermore, the number of adult smokers has decreased to approximately 9.5 million, which is considered a success in using tax mechanisms to protect the health of the nation and reduce the government's burden of medical expenses.
In addition to tobacco control, sugar and salt tax measures are being considered to improve the eating habits of Thai people, as the number of Thais suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney disease is currently rising, mostly caused by inappropriate daily food and beverage consumption.
Implementing this policy not only helps reduce illness rates among the public but also generates revenue for the state to be used for developing the public health system and supporting various health promotion projects to be more comprehensive nationwide.
In summary, the use of health tax measures is a crucial tool in changing the behavior of Thai people to pay more attention to their health. Although it is a change that takes time, the results will help Thai society achieve a better quality of life and sustainably reduce the problem of chronic illness in the long term.