Germany Proposes Levy on Producers for Addiction Support

The Deutsche Hauptstelle für Suchtfrage calls for a dedicated tax on alcohol and tobacco to fund addiction prevention and treatment.

The proposed levy targets manufacturers and sellers of legal addictive substances and gambling services.
Funds from the levy would be used exclusively for prevention, counseling, treatment, and research of addiction-related issues.
Germany faces annual economic costs of €57 billion from alcohol and €97 billion from tobacco consumption.
The levy aims to alleviate financial strains on addiction support centers, which are struggling to maintain services.
The initiative highlights the need for political commitment to address the societal costs of addiction.