Soft drinks companies must comply or the health system will collapse

In an interview with “Los Periodistas”, Undersecretary Eduardo Clark explained that the increase in the tax on sugary drinks is just one of several measures that the Government seeks to implement to address the public health crisis that the country is experiencing.

Mexico City, October 16 (However).- The increase in the Special Tax on Production and Services (IEPS) to the soft drinks It does not seek to raise more money, but rather to confront a public health crisis that, if not addressed, will collapse the health system in the coming years, he warned. Eduardo ClarkUndersecretary of Health.

In an interview with Alejandro Páez and Álvaro Delgado on the program “The Journalists”a program that is broadcast through the YouTube channel of However, in the air, The Undersecretary stressed that the increase in the tax on sugary drinks is a measure to reduce consumption and thus lower obesity rates in the country.

“We are not doing it as a kind of revenge to the soft drinks companies for the economic interests and the money they earn, Mexico is a golden business for Coca-Cola. We do it because these drinks are disrupting the health system. Everything we do is not done because of a fight with industrial interests, it is done for the health of Mexicans. If we do not turn around the curves of diabetes, hypertension and overweight, the country will be disrupted in five, 10 or 15 years.”

The Undersecretary of Health explained that the tax on sugary drinks is just one of several measures that the Government seeks to implement to address the public health crisis that is being experienced in the country due to its widespread consumption.

“The President said it repeatedly, generating the IEPS was not to get more money, it was because we are experiencing a public health crisis that we have to control. There are many things that can be done, education, promoting physical activity, but one of the most important things has to be to reduce the consumption of soft drinks and one of the simplest ways to reduce it is by adding an IEPS so that it is less cheap, because in Mexico the IEPS purchased with other countries that pay taxes on soft drinks, and make the population consume less.

Eduardo Clark pointed out that according to data from the Ministry of Health, the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) allocates around 450 billion pesos annually to medical care; Of them, more than 110 billion are used to treat diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure, three conditions directly linked to the consumption of sugary drinks.

“The IMSS spends more or less 450 billion pesos a year on the health of the Mexicans it serves, more than 110 billion pesos of that goes to diabetes, hypertension and kidney failure, 20 percent for three diseases. We predict that this will continue to grow because the people who are taking it are not that they will get sick tomorrow, it takes time to get sick. We have to use these resources that are collected, 40 billion extra pesos for this tax for the attention of those who already got sick, to give the consequences of what we could no longer correct.

It is estimated that in Mexico more than 100,000 people die from diabetes each year; The care of this and other diseases associated with the consumption of soft drinks implies a million-dollar expense for the public health system.

The IMSS allocated 188 billion pesos for the care of patients with diabetes mellitus between 2021 and 2024, an average of 47 billion pesos per year, according to reports from the institution itself.

In 2024 alone, the IMSS cared for 3.6 million patients with diabetes, which involved allocating 38.8 billion public health resources.

In the case of the Institute of Security and Social Services of State Workers (ISSSTE), its expenditure in 2024 to care for patients with this chronic disease triggered by the high consumption of sugary drinks and other unhealthy habits was 5,440 million pesos.

Then, two of the main public health institutions allocated 44 billion in that year alone to the care of people with diabetes, a condition that is the second cause of death in the country, only below deaths due to heart failure.

Clark recalled that Mexico maintains the sad record of being the largest consumer of soft drinks in the world, a situation that is reflected in the high rates of obesity and diabetes in the country.

“Mexico has the dubious honor of being the largest soda consuming country, that is very sad, heartbreaking and the consequences can be seen by anyone who goes to any health clinic in the country.”

With the aim of benefiting the health of Mexicans, the soft drink industry and the federal government reached a series of agreements to reduce the use of sugar in the production of processed beverages, and also promote the consumption of healthier products among the population.

At a press conference, businessmen from the soft drink industry and officials from the Ministry of Health (SSa) explained that the agreement maintains the increase in IEPS of 3.08 pesos per liter for sugary drinks, while those products with sweeteners or non-chloric sweeteners, also known as “light” or “zero”, will only have an IEPS of 1.50 pesos per liter.

The official explained to “Los Periodistas” that, during the process of preparing the Economic Package sent to Congress, the soft drink companies approached the federal government with an alternative proposal that, he assured, could have greater benefits in terms of public health.

“We agreed that the tax would increase twice as much on drinks with sugar, and from zero to 1.50 pesos on those without sugar. In exchange, the companies committed to reformulate their products to reduce the sugar content in their regular presentations by 33 percent,” he explained.

In addition, the agreement includes a clear difference between the price of drinks with and without sugar, and voluntary restrictions on advertising. “They agreed that there be no advertising directed at minors, that only sugar-free products be promoted and that they stop advertising three-liter jumbo presentations,” Clark said. “The industry felt the pressure, came to the table and gave us things that we believe will improve the health of Mexicans.”

However, he warned that the government will maintain a firm stance if companies fail to meet their commitments.

“We reserve the right to take coercive measures in case it is not complied with. If we negotiate to lower the IEPS on beverages with sweetener in exchange for this, it will come back in case they do not comply,” he warned.

Clark concluded that the government’s ultimate goal is to reverse decades of poor food practices and influence from the soft drink industry. “What we are looking for is recognition that the Mexican State began to turn the curve of diabetes and hypertension. It is a cursed legacy of bad eating behaviors and many interests that we have been carrying for 40 years,” he said.