Evidence shows that health taxes are among the most effective measures to reduce consumption of harmful products, especially when embedded in a strategic public health approach. Yet, global implementation remains vastly underutilized. For instance, WHO’s 2021 Report on the Global Tobacco Epidemic found that only 13% of the world’s population is protected by tobacco taxes at best-practice levels. Governments are missing a cost-effective opportunity to improve health, raise revenue, advance equity and save lives.

To explore how to accelerate the implementation of health taxes, this lunch-time discussion will consider:

• What are the barriers for policy-makers to accelerate health taxes implementation?
• How can health research and learning help overcome these barriers?
• How can global institutions and agencies best support the effective implementation of health taxes?