3 min readPuneJul 5, 2025 11:00 AM IST
First published on: Jul 5, 2025 at 11:00 AM IST
The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a ”3 by 35” initiative urging countries to raise real prices on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks by at least 50 per cent by 2035 through health taxes in a move designed to curb chronic diseases and generate critical public revenue.
Led by WHO, the initiative brings together a group of global partners to help countries put health taxes into action. These organizations offer a mix of technical know-how, policy advice, and real-world experience. By working together, they aim to raise awareness about the benefits of health taxes and support efforts at the national level.
As per WHO officials, the consumption of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks are fueling the epidemic of non-communicable diseases. NCDs, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, account for over 75 per cent of all deaths worldwide. A recent report shows that a one-time 50 per cent price increase on these products could prevent 50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years.
“Health taxes are one of the most efficient tools we have,” Dr Jeremy Farrar, Assistant Director-General, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and Control, WHO, said in an official statement. The initiative has an ambitious goal of raising US $1 trillion over the next 10 years. Between 2012 and 2022, nearly 140 countries raised tobacco taxes, which resulted in an increase of real prices by over 50 per cent on average, showing that large-scale change is possible, according to the WHO report.
Many countries have expressed interest in transitioning toward more self-reliant, domestically funded health systems and are turning to WHO for guidance. The “3 by 35” initiative introduces key action areas to help countries, pairing proven health policies with best practices on implementation. These include direct support for country-led reforms, mobilizing domestic public resources to fund essential health and development programmes, including universal health coverage.
Bidi, smokeless tobacco under-taxed in India
India has implemented tobacco taxation under the GST framework, with 28 per cent GST and an additional compensation cess on cigarettes and select products. However, bidis (smoked by low-income groups) and smokeless tobacco (SLT) (used by over two-thirds of tobacco users) remain under-taxed. Experts said that India’s current approach to taxing tobacco, alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages represents a fragmented, revenue-centric model that lacks a coherent public health framework.
“India’s current taxation of tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened beverages represents substantial untapped potential for public health advancement. The absence of a coherent health tax framework limits their effectiveness in addressing India” s growing NCD burden. The WHO 3 by 35 Initiative provides both the rationale and the roadmap for transformation, offering a pathway to shift from revenue-driven to public health-oriented taxation that can achieve the dual objectives of sustainable health financing and disease prevention,” Dr Prashant Kumar Singh, senior scientist at Indian Council of Medical Research- National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research told The Indian Express.
Led by WHO, the initiative brings together a group of global partners to help countries put health taxes into action. (File Photo) 
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