Don't taxes on things like cigarettes and sodas disproportionally affect lower-income folks? Intended or not, it comes off as a bit classist. I don't have a better solution, tbh.
Low income is heavily linked with depression, and alcohol tends to amplify and prolong depression, which makes it that much harder to increase income. It is a vicious cycle I have known many people unable to escape.
There is an argument to be made for making alcohol harder to access for younger or lower income people.
This logic is a big reason why I personally avoided all recreational substances including alcohol until I felt very happy and stable in my career and trajectory in life, at 25.
I advise everyone to abstain from any recreational substances at least until they are at cruising altitude in life, whenever and whatever that means for them.
Occasional recreational substances are for happy and stable times, if at all.
Virtually anything will affect people of different wealth levels differently. Are we to accept that we just shouldn't mitigate literally any problem on the planet until we first equalize wealth across the board?
It does; but (at least in the UK) smoking and obesity are not only the two largest contributors to early deaths, but also by far the largest contributors to inequality of life expectancy between socioeconomic groups.
There is an argument to be made for making alcohol harder to access for younger or lower income people.
This logic is a big reason why I personally avoided all recreational substances including alcohol until I felt very happy and stable in my career and trajectory in life, at 25.
I advise everyone to abstain from any recreational substances at least until they are at cruising altitude in life, whenever and whatever that means for them.
Occasional recreational substances are for happy and stable times, if at all.