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. Do you agree or disagree?

HEALTH PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE CONSUMPTION OF UNHEALTHY FOODS ARE RISING IN SOME COUNTRIES. ONE WIDELY HELD OPINION IS THAT GOVERNMENTS OUGHT TO APPLY HIGHER

TAXES

ON UNHEALTHY FOODS TO TACKLE

THIS

ISSUE.

THIS

ESSAY AGREES WITH

THIS

NOTION AND WILL

FURTHER

ELABORATE ON MY VIEW FOR FAVORING THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF HIGHER EXCISE ON FAST

FOOD

PRODUCTS.

FIRSTLY

,

THIS

REVENUE FROM

TAXES

WOULD BE USED TO TREAT DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH THESE PRODUCTS AND WOULD BE USEFUL IN ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS WARNING

PEOPLE

ABOUT THE DANGERS OF JUNK

FOOD

CONSUMPTION.

FOR INSTANCE

, HIGHER EXCISE ON ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES HAS PROVEN TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT CURBING THE HARM CAUSED BY THESE SUBSTANCES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, WHERE MONEY FROM SMOKERS IS USED TO TREAT LUNG CANCER AND HEART DISEASE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, PUMPED INTO HEALTH CAMPAIGNS IN SCHOOLS TO WARN CHILDREN ABOUT THE DANGERS OF SMOKING.

SECONDLY

, INCREASING

TAXES

WOULD RAISE PRICES AND LOWER CONSUMPTION. TO AN EXTENT, 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 FAST

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 EXAMPLE

, THE COST OF ORGANIC

FOOD

HAS PROVEN PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE FOR MOST

PEOPLE

AND

THAT IS

WHY ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION BUY IT REGULARLY. IN CONCLUSION, FAST

FOOD

SHOULD BE TAXED AT A HIGHER RATE, IN

THIS

WAY IT WOULD BE LESS REACHABLE FOR

PEOPLE

AND THE MONEY COMING FROM

TAXES

COULD BE INVESTED IN AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS OR TREATMENTS.