New position statements

Today we have published position statements on the commercial determinants of health (CDOH) and gambling, additions to our suite of policy positions outlining our member’s views and recommendations on a wide range of key public health topics.

Our paper on CDOH outlines the influence health harming industries have on the population’s health, exploring the pathways through which they cause harm and the common tactics they employ. It outlines evidence-based approaches to mitigate this harm and why action to limit negative commercial influence is so necessary.

Our position statement on gambling outlines the extent of gambling harms in the UK and the current environment which continues to drive them. It lays out evidence-based recommendations for national and local government to tackle the population-wide harms, highlighting opportunities for policy action which would protect public health and limit this commercial influence.

Peter Roderick, Director of Public Health for York and ADPH Lead for CDOH, has emphasised the importance of the public health community in advocating for cross-cutting themes, including:

• Total independence of policy formulation from health-harming industries.
• The development of robust and evidence-based policy which regulates health harming industries and restricts their influence on health, both through direct and indirect pathways.
• Restrictions on the advertising and marketing of products which shape environments and behaviour to drive profits and escalate avoidable levels of ill-health.