My Take on the "Healthy Tax" Idea

We love In a country like ours where basic healthcare is either too expensive or inaccessible, with that realization, I must say that I really buy the idea of a healthy tax, and that's because I care about the well-being of people given my personal health history, so I've been reflecting on the topic of if the government places hefty taxes on unhealthy and harmful products such as alcohol, cigarettes, sugar, and the like, since it can ultimately go on to make people limit their intake or outright stop taking it due to the enormous value.

To be fair, this isn't the first time such measures are being taken around the world. I've read news where governments introduce such taxes to control the consumption of harmful and unhealthy products, and in most cases it works, and I think the reason for that isn't far-fetched, because when you raise the values of these products really high to a point where it seems unreasonable to buy one bottle for such a fee, it leads to people buying less of it. It's just like what we were taught in economics about demand and supply, whereby when something becomes expensive, its demand naturally drops. This could just be a smart way to protect the lives of people without having to beg them but indirectly influencing their decision.

While this seems like a good approach, which I like, I can't neglect the important question that needs to be answered regarding these: to start with, is the government truly interested in having a healthy citizen, or are the tax instructions just to make more money? Secondly, if truly their intention is to have healthier citizens, then they should be ready to immediately introduce a tax policy that would create awareness and alternatives. I mean, what's the point of increasing the value of these things if you won't make healthy products available and affordable! meaning healthy food such as fruits, vegetables, water, and the like should be affordable and accessible, and if that isn't the case, that tax policy is obviously more of a punishment than a solution to the issue at hand.

But looking at a country like mine, Nigeria, where the value of everything is already on the rise, making people just strive to survive, adding more tax will only sound good on paper, but in reality, it'll only lead to illegal trade, frustration, and smuggling. It's not the first time such has happened; we saw it with rice a few years ago. Not forgetting it's quite difficult to stop an addict from what they're already used to; if they don't receive help quitting , they'll ultimately delve into anything, even illegal activities, just to be able to afford these products, which in the end still affects the society negatively.

With that being said, it doesn't mean I'm against the proposal; like I said, I find it interesting. What my concern is is how it'll be implemented so it'll work and be handled the right way, and for that I've got a few suggestions: firstly, I'll suggest the money generated from the tax should be invested in bettering our healthcare facilities; secondly, healthy food should be made available and affordable so they can replace the taxed items; thirdly, create a massive awareness on the dangers of excessive drinking, smoking, and sugar consumption; and lastly, embrace and support those willing to quit with either free or subsidized rehabilitation and counseling.

Overall, we all already know the common saying that health is wealth, so we should do everything within our capacity to have healthy citizens, even if the price to pay is increasing the value of alcohol, cigarettes, and sugar. Then it's definitely worth considering, inasmuch as it's done with the best interests of the people at heart and not to fill the government treasury.

All photos are taken and edited on canva.