Financing the health sector through a tax on what hurts the health most: alcohol and junk foods. This is the idea behind the new proposal that the Ministry of Health sent to the Regions in view of the discussion on the 2012-2014 Health Pact.
Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous
Finance the health sector through a tax on what hurts the health the most: alcohol and junk foods. This is the idea behind the new proposal that the Ministry of Health sent to the Regions in view of the confrontation on the Pact for Health 2012-2014.
Junk food and alcohol could be taxed. The funds thus raised would go to finance healthcare construction, as part of the Extraordinary investment program in health care pursuant to art. 20 of law 67/88, which authorized building restructuring and technological modernization of the public health heritage, as well as the construction of residences for the elderly and non self-sufficient people.
This program in fact needs to be refinanced and the idea contained in the draft is to use just one purpose tax on these products that are so damaging to health. They are funds, the draft reads, without which "public health structures are destined to progressively deteriorate with inevitable repercussions on the quality of care and the maintenance of Lea", the so-called essential levels of assistance.
Therefore, French fries, cheesburgers and fizzy drinks could be short-lived, as is already the case in France, where the now renamed tax on Coca Cola, or in Denmark, where there has been a surcharge for high-fat products for some time. Among which, however, also fall within XNUMX/XNUMX cup salted butter e olive oil.
In short, we try to make money where we can, and we are convinced that proposals of this kind have little to do with intentions that aim to reduce obesity and to spread correct and healthy eating habits. Could such a tax really reduce the consumption of pre-cooked, prepackaged or fast food and alcoholic beverages of any kind? Wouldn't it be better, instead of making the effects of this crisis fall on consumers once again, to tax companies and retailers that offer foods that are anything but healthy?
Eleonora Cresci
