Policy failures result in huge damaged to society

Addiction Economy Thought for Today:

A great new UK report on how tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy foods are let loose to damage individuals and society and what to do about it.

Interestingly no mention of vapes, because they are seen primarily as smoking cessation tool, so don't really count as the new addiction economy kid on the block. Understandable as you can see from the smoking stats in the report, but short-sighted and failing to learn the very lessons from the past they articulate here in our view. Let's hope that changes.

Agree with all the recommendations. What also interests us is the belief systems which shape the interventions, or lack of them, which allow it all to happen.

Below in the Guardian, but the report and its recommendations are more interesting than can be covered in the space of the article.

Here is the report from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Howard Reed LANDMAN ECONOMICS LTD:

Holding us back: tobacco, alcohol, and unhealthy food and drink

Summary:

1. Tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food and drink are leading causes of ill health and early death.

2. We are exposed to these products daily where we live, work, learn and socialise. This is holding us back from building a society that is healthier, happier, and more productive. The public supports action to reduce harm from these products.

3. There has been a failure to fully regulate these health-harming products in line with the damage they cause. Health-harming industries work hard to influence public policy to protect their profits, limiting the potential for appropriate regulatory measures.

4. For people to lead healthier lives, we need the Government to build on the progress made on tobacco and further regulate harmful products in a way that is proportionate to their impacts on health and society.