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2 September 2024
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Overwhelming public support for health policy protection from industry

Consumer choice is not completely free. Instead, it is heavily influenced by industry lobbying, marketing and other tactics. To build a stronger, healthier and more productive society, we need to reduce the levels of harmful consumption so that the number of people experiencing and dying from preventable diseases can also be reduced.

Gerry Taylor
ADPH Lead for the Commercial Determinants of Health

Local public health bosses are calling on politicians to respond to public concern and protect health policy from businesses whose sales contribute to the growing number of people experiencing largely avoidable illness and disease.  

Harmful products including tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and drink cause a multitude of largely avoidable conditions, including many cancers, respiratory, heart and liver disease, mental health disorders and suicide. In England alone, these conditions cause nearly 90% of deaths. 

A new report published by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA), and the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA), has highlighted a number of shared strategies used by industries behind these, and other, harmful products.  

Common tactics uncovered in the report include downplaying the potential harms linked to consumption of their products, using legal threats, and influencing policy makers through the use of gifts, benefits and hospitality.  

A recent YouGov poll of over 13,000 GB adults revealed that most people support protecting government health policies from the influence of the tobacco industry (78%), the alcohol industry (71%), and the manufacturers of unhealthy food and drinks (71%). 

The UK’s commitments under the World Health Organization’s tobacco control treaty impose strict rules on government engagement with the tobacco industry. However, despite overwhelming evidence of their effective impact on reducing consumption of harmful products, and widespread public support, similar regulations are not in place for the alcohol and junk food industries.  

Gerry Taylor, Chair of the Association of Directors of Public Health’s advisory group on the commercial determinants of health, said:  

“Consumer choice is not completely free. Instead, it is heavily influenced by industry lobbying, marketing and other tactics. To build a stronger, healthier and more productive society, we need to reduce the levels of harmful consumption so that the number of people experiencing and dying from preventable diseases can also be reduced.  

“To do this, we need to rethink how these businesses are engaged in policy making where there are clear conflicts of interest between commercial and public interests. This new report clearly sets out common industry tactics and makes a compelling case for restricting industry influence over public health policies. 

“Only by concentrating our efforts on building a strong economy which delivers good wages, good jobs and promotes good health and wellbeing for everyone, will we be able to improve the nation’s health and create a society where people are able to enjoy healthier lives for longer.” 

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