Health group takes aim at junk food advertising

By Cillian Sherlock, PA

A failure to take on powerful food and alcohol industries is costing thousands of lives in Ireland every year, a Dáil committee has heard.

Around 35,000 people die each year in Ireland, three-quarters as a result of chronic illnesses such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia and respiratory ailments.

On Wednesday, Health Promotion Alliance Ireland (HPAI) told politicians the toll could be greatly reduced if the Government prioritised the prevention of chronic disease and ignored “vested interests” which oppose progressive health strategies.

The group said recent research showed that just four industries – tobacco, unhealthy foods, fossil fuels and alcohol – are responsible for at least a third of deaths globally per year.

In its statement, the HPAI called for a curb on junk food adverts targeting children.

The umbrella group was represented by Janis Morrissey, director of health promotion with the Irish Heart Foundation, Dr Sheila Gilheany, chief executive, Alcohol Action Ireland, and Dr Liz O’Sullivan, lecturer in nutrition, TU Dublin.

They called on the Government to tackle the issue in a similar fashion to the introduction of the workplace smoking ban.

Ms Morrissey said: “In Ireland, we will shortly mark 20 years since the introduction of that ban.

“This ambitious initiative improved everybody’s health and proved the Government’s ability to stand up to the big tobacco lobby.

“Now Government needs to repeat this brave action with other sectors, who all use the same corporate playbook to oppose any progressive health policy.”

With figures showing the alcohol industry in Ireland spent 116 million euro on advertising in 2021, she said campaigns such as the “drink responsibly” slogan are “simply not enough”.

The HPAI argued that the population in Norway – where there is a complete ban on alcohol advertising – drinks 37 per cent less alcohol compared with Ireland.

Ms Morrissey said a major shift to primary prevention is needed: “Chronic diseases account for 76 per cent of all deaths annually, 40 per cent of admissions and 75 per cent of bed days.

“These chronic diseases are largely preventable. They are mostly caused by five common risk factors: poor diet, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, smoking and obesity. We know what needs to be done.”