Mexico Tackles Obesity Epidemic With Junk Food Levy: Taxes
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Mexico is turning to its tax system to tackle the highest obesity levels in North America or Europe, with plans to raise levies on the fatty foods and sugary sodas that contribute to more deaths than drug violence.
The lower house of Congress passed President Enrique Pena Nieto’s fiscal plan on Oct. 17 after adding a 5 percent tax on junk food. The duty is on top of a 1 peso per-liter tax on soft drinks included in the administration’s original proposal. The bill heads to the full Senate for a vote as early as today after upper house committees approved it this morning.