Taxing For A Healthier Tomorrow

Government around the world have tried different strategies to reduce the consumption of harmful products like cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine, alcohol, and the like. While some countries impose heavy penalties to check these excesses, others take a more lenient approach. But one thing is that no matter the policy that is implemented to prevent people from taking these harmful products, they’ll still find their way around it. I mean, it is clearly written on cigarettes that “smokers are liable to die young.” Smoking causes cancer and it kills, yet, people continue to consume it. Some smokers are addicted to the extent that they can't go a day without it. Here in my school, there are many smoking joints. Not only smoking joints where students and louts come together to smoke. There's also a place in my area where they sell weeds. Not only cigarettes, but other types of weeds as well.

At night, that hostel is always crowded. You see students coming with their cars and bikes to buy cigarettes and weeds. Sometime last year, police raided that hostel and arrested over 10 students. One would expect that such scenario would lead to the end of buying and selling cigarettes and weeds or at least put a temporary break to the business. However, just about a week after the incident, the business resumed, and it was surprising to see that the same people who got arrested in the first place, also came to buy after they were released. No matter what government try to do—no matter the policy they try to implement, people will still find a way to do whatever they want. They’ll still find a way to go against the law. However, the rate at which people consume these products can be curbed if the rights strategies are imposed. This brings me to today’s Hive Learners’ topic; HEALTHY TAX.

The idea behind healthy tax means making harmful products more expensive so people will not be able to afford them easily. If cigarettes become expensive, louts and every day smokers may be less likely to consume them. While it might be difficult to regulate this policy, on the surface level, it seems like a good one. However, it also has advantages and disadvantages. On the positive side, it will lead to the reduction (not eradication) in the consumption of these products. Here in my country, more than 60% of drunkards are poor people. “Poor” might not be the right term to use in the context. I believe “lower class” should do enough justice.

Most drunkards who roam around the street and bars causing nuisance are people from the lower class. These individuas earn meager salaries, yet they squander it all on alchohol. It baffles me whenever I think about this. I mean, you don’t earn enough money, yet, when you receive your salary, you go to the bar to squander it all. Growing up, there was someone like this in my area. We didn't know where he worked, nor did we know how he always afforded drinks every day. No one knew much about him. Well, at least I didn't know much about him. I would always see him every evening, drunk and staggering to his house. He always looked unkempt—his hair was bushy, his beards was dirty and scanty, and his clothes were soiled from the many times he had fallen down. Sometimes, he'd sleep on the street till the next morning. His life was miserable because of alcohol. Eventually, he was involved in an accident and died.

If heavy taxes were placed on products like alcohol, that man would probably find a way around it, but he wouldn't be able to afford it as much as he did. Countries around the world have implemented this strategy. Mexico introduced a sugar tax in 2014, and Australia implemented a tobacco tax; both strategies have proven to be effective. I mentioned earlier that there might be disadvantages. Some street sellers rely on selling these products, especially alcohol and cigarettes, as their primary source of income. Increasing taxes on these products would lead to job losses. However, in the long run, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. If this policy is taken seriously, it will discourage the consumption of these harmful products and also help the government generate revenue.

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Thanks for reading.