“Alcohol linked to six of the leading causes of death in Mexico”
Excelsior reports:
“In Mexico, six of the top ten causes of death are related to alcohol consumption. The first is heart disease, followed by malignant tumors, liver disease, accidents, cerebrovascular diseases and aggressions. Approximately 40,000 people die annually from this cause in our country. …
“Various factors determine consumption levels and patterns, such as high availability, affordability, culture, economic situation, advertising, and the lack or failure to enforce control measures. Various civil organisations, such as the Alcohol Action Network (Rasa), the Alliance for Food Health, El Poder del Consumidor and Fundar Centre for Analysis and Research have spoken out in favour of higher taxes on alcoholic beverages.
“According to these groups’ analysis, simply eliminating the current taxes and replacing them with specific quotas per litre of pure alcohol for each type of beverage could raise 105 billion 300 million 81 thousand pesos, an increase of 42.9 per cent.”
Assessment
The evidence presented underscores how deeply alcohol contributes to Mexico’s health and social burden, from chronic diseases to youth vulnerability and violence. Researchers highlight that adolescent exposure to alcohol disrupts brain development, reinforcing the need for both preventive education and reduced availability.
The reform proposal advanced by The Red de Accion sobre Alcohol (RASA), El Poder del Consumidor, Fundar, and the Alliance for Food Health would align Mexico’s tax structure with WHO recommendations, shifting from price-based to volume-based taxation to more efficiently reduce and prevent alcohol harm and strengthen revenue stability.
Combined with sustained enforcement of existing alcohol availability rules, better enforcement of alcohol impaired-driving laws, and public awareness campaigns – such an improvement in alcohol taxation would form the backbone of a comprehensive national strategy to prevent and reduce alcohol harm.
The committed and compelling advocacy from health and consumer groups provides policymakers with credible, data-driven arguments to place people’s health and youth protection at the centre of fiscal reform and alcohol policy debate.