Polluter pays principle added to Commercial Determinants of Health position statement

A new appendix has been added to our Commercial Determinants of Health (CDOH) position statement, setting out the key principles and conditions needed to ensure the polluter pays principle works effectively to protect and improve public health.

Peter Roderick, ADPH spokesperson for CDOH, explains:

“There is no one solution for overcoming the negative impact of commercial influences on our health. Instead, it is a question of making sure big industry is regulated in such a way that ensures everyone has the freedom to choose, and that needs a multi-pronged approach.

“One mechanism that can be helpful is the polluter pays principle – an economic policy that forces industries that produce harmful products to bear the environmental and social cost of their actions.

“We have seen this approach used to great effect to reduce sugar content in soft drinks for example, and there is certainly scope for using it to reduce the harm caused by other products, including tobacco and fossil fuels.

“However, it is vital that any new polluter pays policy is developed in such a way that it supports prevention efforts and does not give health harming industries free license to continue to produce products that take away our freedom to live a healthy, happy life.

“Drawing on evidence from policy experts in these industries, this new update to our CDOH policy position paper details the guiding principles, structures, and contextual conditions that must be in place to help ensure a polluter pays policy operates as an effective public health intervention.”