We need to counter industry promotion of harmful products to protect public health
To tackle preventable illness caused by consuming harmful products we need policies that reduce their availability, affordability, and visibility, writes Alice Wiseman Using medical professionals to help promote harmful products is one of the many tactics that big industries employ, as shown in the linked BMJ investigation.1 Big industries selling unhealthy products aim to make a profit regardless of the damage caused to consumers’ health. Many of these companies have millions of pounds at their disposal for marketing, advertising, and other strategies to promote their products. They have the resources to influence public perceptions and downplay the harmful effects of their products. This must change, and tobacco control gives us a blueprint for reducing the harm caused by these commercial determinants of health. The tactics used to promote and sell unhealthy food and drink follow the same playbook as the tobacco, alcohol, and gambling industries, as was shown in a recent report.2 In
