Recently, the need to establish effective measures to restrict the wide availability of alcohol in the country has been raised. Additionally, there has been a call for an urgent national awareness campaign to inform about the dangers of alcohol consumption, the dependency it can provoke, as well as to strengthen prevention and care services for people with alcohol-related problems, among other essential provisions.
Juan Núñez, representative of Salud Justa, has emphasized the urgency of implementing a national policy for alcohol control. In his words, 'Excise taxes are highly beneficial measures, as they not only deter children, teenagers, and low-income individuals from consuming alcohol, which has a positive impact on their health, but they also provide resources to the public treasury that can cover part of the costs of the health system, including prevention and treatment of people affected by alcohol.'
According to ENSANUT 2022, excessive alcohol consumption affects approximately one in five adults aged 20 years or older in the country at least once in the last 30 days. This consumption significantly raises the risks of facing situations of violence, such as homicides, suicides, sexual and domestic assaults, as well as suffering serious injuries such as traffic accidents, falls, drownings, and burns. Long-term, alcoholism can lead to mental health issues, learning difficulties, depression, anxiety, and addiction.
Every year, around 40,000 people die in the country due to alcohol-related causes, which amounts to 109 deaths daily and 4 deaths per hour. For this reason, several organizations presented the Manifesto for a National Policy for the Control of Alcoholic Beverages, in which they demand the implementation of a policy aimed at restricting alcohol consumption to protect the health and well-being of the population.
This manifesto, prepared by researchers, academics, specialists, and activists from various regions of the country, proposes a series of key actions to reduce alcohol consumption and its negative impacts on society and the health of citizens. One of the prominent points is the need to increase excise taxes on alcoholic beverages, considered one of the most effective and cost-efficient measures to address this public health problem.
