The Role of Fiscal Policies in Health Promotion

Enhancing the efficiency and equity of the tax system in Israel

“…Such taxes have been introduced in a number of OECD countries, including Finland, France, Hungary, Mexico, Norway, Belgium and the United Kingdom (OECD, 2018e). Increasing prices of sugary and highcaloric food items through appropriate tax levies could promote healthier diets, as the consumption of these products seems to have a high price elasticity (Sassi, 2016;Sassi et al, 2013). Studies for Mexico show that taxation of sweetened beverages was correlated with a decrease in consumption when a healthier untaxed alternative was provided (Marron et al, 2015;Sassi et al, 2013;Sassi, 2016).…”

Improving the efficiency and outcomes of the Slovak health-care system

“…The recent cigarette tax increase, which increased their price by about 6%, is thus welcome. The positive impact of these measures on health ought to be greater for the poorest parts of the population, who suffer the most from the negative consequences of alcohol and tobacco abuse (Sassi et al, 2013), since they are the most likely to adjust their behaviour in response to price increases, given their financial constraints. One potential barrier to further changes is the risk of increased smuggling of black-market alcohol and tobacco, if the higher excises lead to significant price differences with neighbouring countries.…”

“…Raising their prices with tax levies can influence people's eating habits and promote healthier diets (WHO, 2015). Consumers are more sensitive to variations in the price of sweetened beverages than other foodstuffs (Marron et al, 2015;Sassi et al, 2013), which suggests that moderate taxes can have a significant impact on consumption without generating markedly regressive effects, especially if there are healthier untaxed alternatives. Drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, which are more popular among young people in underprivileged communities, would also help reduce health inequality.…”

Vulnerability of Social Institutions

“…These taxes can be highly effective in discouraging unhealthy behaviour. There is robust evidence on the impact of taxes for tobacco and alcoholic beverages, while in the case of taxes on food, the effectiveness of the tax depends on its design (Sassi et al, 2013). The rates of these taxes should be set based on the marginal negative externalities generated by the goods they apply to.…”