Indias Recent Free Trade Agreements and Alcohol Control: Implications for Public Health and SDG Commitments

Title

Indias Recent Free Trade Agreements and Alcohol Control: Implications for Public Health and SDG Commitments

Creator

Yadav, Nisha

Description

Background: India accounts for 20% of the worldwide deaths due to alcohol use, and alcohol use among adolescents and young adults is on the rise. In May 2025, the Government of India negotiated Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the United Kingdom (UK), the European Union (EU) and a proposed agreement with the United States of America (USA), stipulating sweeping reduction in alcohol tariffs. This paper reviews the public health implications of such reduced tariffs under the FTAs. Materials and Methods: Existing evidence on the public health burden of alcohol use, along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Government of India policies on alcohol control, and published information on the proposed FTAs, is reviewed. Result: No level of alcohol consumption is safe. Alcohol use disorder affects roughly 9% of Indian men. Extensive legal and constitutional safeguards are available for alcohol control in India. Taxation is one of the most cost-effective interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm. Reduction in alcohol tariffs proposed under the recent FTAs is inconsistent with Sustainable Development Goal 3, WHO policy guidelines, and national legal and constitutional framework for public health and alcohol control. Conclusion: Given the public health burden of alcohol use and Indias commitment to domestic and international alcohol control policies, it must keep cheap imports of alcohol out of the FTAs with the UK, the EU, and the USA. 2026 Indian Journal of Community Medicine.

Source

Indian Journal of Community Medicine;Volume;51;pp.S405-S408

Date

01-01-2026

Publisher

Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications

Subject

Alcohol; free trade agreement; India; investment; public health; Sustainable Development Goal (SDG); The European Union; The United States of America; trade

Coverage

Yadav N., School of Law, Christ (Deemed to be University), NCR Campus, Uttar Pradesh, Ghaziabad, India

Rights

All Open Access; Gold Open Access

Relation

ISSN: 9700218;

Format

online

Language

English

Type

Article

Identifier

https://doi.org/10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_579_25

https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038609107?origin=resultslist