Capacity building on pro-health taxes
Join us to explore pro-health taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and unhealthy food and drinks, and learn how to advocate for these measures, which offer a win-win for health and the economy.
Date & Place: 4-6 June 2025, Sofia, Bulgaria
Background
Pro-health taxes are most commonly levied on unhealthy products such as tobacco and alcohol. Increasingly, these measures are also applied to other harmful commodities such as sugar-sweetened drinks (SSBs) and foods high in fat, salt, and sugar (HFSS). Consumption of these products is linked to many non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, obesity, and diabetes – conditions that are key contributors to disability and premature death today.
Economic theories and evidence suggest that well-designed taxes on harmful products can both generate revenue and improve public health by encouraging healthier behaviours through changing the environment in which we live. Moreover, integrating approaches addressing alcohol, tobacco, and dietary risks together can improve their effectiveness and tackle the complex factors that contribute to health inequalities. Multiple risks tend to cluster, particularly among disadvantaged groups, leading to higher overall health risks.
Understanding pro-health taxes and knowing how to advocate for them is crucial for reducing the burden of NCDs and moving toward healthier, more productive, and sustainable societies.
About the Capacity Building Event
As part of the FILTERED project, the Smoke Free Partnership is organising a 2.5-day capacity-building event on pro-health taxes. The event will take place on 4-6 June 2025, in Sofia, Bulgaria.
This event will equip participants – including civil society representatives, decision-makers, and journalists – with the knowledge and tools necessary to advocate for pro-health taxes – the most cost-effective policy measures for addressing NCDs at the population level.
Topics will include:
• The link between taxes and health, focusing on NCD risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food and drinks
• The fiscal aspects and administration of pro-health taxation
• The health economics of pro-health taxes
• Strategies to combat illicit trade, particularly in tobacco and alcohol
• Current EU and national policies on taxing tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food and drinks
• Effective advocacy strategies for promoting pro-health taxes at both EU and national levels
Eligibility
Due to limited capacity, only a select number of participants can be accepted. Participants will be selected to ensure diversity in geographical representation, gender, age, and inclusion of civil society representing vulnerable groups. Travel and accommodation grants will be available to a limited number of participants from the countries eligible under the EU4Health programme (EU Member States, Iceland, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova, Montenegro and Ukraine).
Speakers
The training will be conducted in collaboration with distinguished experts, including:
• Dr Hana Ross (Honorary Research Associate, University of Cape Town; Senior Research Associate, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies)
• Dr Angel Lopez (Professor, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena)
• Mr Luk Joossens (Senior Expert on Illicit Tobacco Trade)
• Dr Robert Branson (Associate Professor, University of Bath)
• Dr Peter Rice (President, Eurocare; Chair, Institute of Alcohol Studies)
