Public Health and the NHS at 70: Fit Enough for the Challenge of New Enemies in a New Landscape? An Example of Public Health Measures to Address Alcohol Consumption

Abstract

Health for the many, and particularly the health of the poorest, has often been vulnerable to the commercial interests of powerful actors such as corporations and industry. This is exemplified by the efforts of the alcohol and tobacco industries to fight public health policies aimed at curbing alcohol and tobacco consumption: through the publishing of poor science, political lobbying and finally through legal action at national and international levels. There is clear evidence that better public health cannot be achieved solely through the promotion of healthy behaviour but also requires active efforts to counter those powerful entities with vested interests in commercial profit. The manner in which the British government’s commitment to introducing a minimum unit price (MUP) for alcohol in England and Wales saw an extraordinary U-turn has been described as a cautionary tale of the power of the alcohol industry to influence public health policy. In Scotland, where the bill was passed, legislative success was followed by a five-year legal battle with alcohol industry trade bodies. MUP as a policy exposed just how strategically and earnestly industry will fight to preserve its profits and its interests at the expense of public health.