Kazakhstan's Ministry of Health proposes excise taxes on sugary drinksMinister of Health Akmaral Alnazarova suggests that levying excise taxes on sugar-sweetened non-alcoholic beverages could reduce their consumption among children, thus lowering the risk of obesity."Studies have shown that increasing the excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages by a few percent reduces their consumption. Naturally, this will correlate with the health level of our population, including the younger generation (...). Overall, we see the need to implement excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages. Today, we observe that young people practically do not drink plain water. All of this affects health,” Alnazarova said on Thursday during a briefing in Astana.She also highlighted that approximately one in every five children in Kazakhstan is currently overweight, with obesity rates among children reaching 6% according to recent data. She emphasized that males are particularly affected.Alnazarova warned of the potential health consequences of childhood obesity, including the risk of developing diabetes, circulatory issues, and other health complications. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: Interfax