President López Obrador acknowledged that taxes on unhealthy food and cigarettes have not been successful in discouraging their consumption, but the government plans on raising them anyway.

“It can’t only be about paying more taxes, there needs to be more information for the people,” he told his morning press conference on Monday.

The president also announced that his government will launch an awareness campaign to promote healthy diets.

“We’re going to carry out a media campaign,” he said. “It will be about how to eat well, eat healthy, and not be influenced by advertising that pushes you to eat junk food that not only affects your health, but also your wallet.”

He added that he hopes to promote traditional Mexican beverages as alternatives to soda, like pinole, pozol and chilate.

The government’s 2020 budget includes a new increase on cigarettes and junk food, which is expected to bring in an additional 62 billion pesos (US $3.12 billion).

Source: El Universal (sp)