The falling relative costs of alcohol and sugary drinks are fuelling a rise in diseases, alcoholism, and injuries worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned. Poorly designed taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and sugary drinks – intended to raise prices and reduce consumption – are failing to keep pace with inflation and income growth, particularly in the developing world, according to a series of WHO reports released today. “Health taxes are not a silver bullet, and they’re not simple. They can be politically unpopular and they attract opposition from powerful industries with deep pockets and a lot to lose, but many countries have shown that when they’re done right, they’re a powerful tool for health,” WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus said at a press conference on Tuesday.  So-called “sin taxes” have been highly effective in reducing rates of obesity, lung cancer, and alcohol-related injuries in countries that enforce them. They work by increasing prices to change people’s habits, easing pressure on health systems overwhelmed by non-communicable diseases. At the same time, the consumption of junk food …