In some countries an increasing number of people are suffering from health problems as a result of eating too much fast food. It is therefore necessary for governments to impose a higher tax on this kind of food.

It is argued that governments should levy a tariff on junk

food

because the number of health risks associated with consuming

this

kind of meal is on the rise.

This

essay agrees that a higher rate of tax should be paid by fast-

food

companies.

Firstly

,

this

essay will discuss the fact that alcohol and tobacco companies already pay higher taxes and

secondly

, discuss how higher taxes would raise prices and lower consumption. Higher excise on liquor and cigarettes has proven to be successful at curbing the harm caused by these substances.

This

revenue has been used to treat health problems associated with these products and has proven useful in advertising campaigns warning people about the dangers of alcohol and tobacco abuse. Tax from fast

food

could be used in the same way. The United Kingdom is a prime example, where money from smokers is used to treat lung cancer and heart disease. Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower consumption. Fast

food

companies would pass on these taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices and

this

would lead to people not being able to afford junk

food

because it is too expensive. Junk

food

would soon become a luxury item and it would only be consumed occasionally, which would be less harmful to the general public’s health.

For instance

, the cost of organic

food

has proven prohibitively expensive for most people and

that is

why only a small percentage of the population buys it regularly. In conclusion, junk

food

should be taxed at a higher rate because of the good precedent set by alcohol and tobacco and the fact that the increased cost should reduce the amount of fast-

food

people buy.