The World Health Organization (WHO) accuses four major industries – tobacco, ultra-processed foods, fossil fuels and alcohol – of being responsible for the deaths of 2.7 million people a year in Europe. The WHO report highlights how the consolidated power of these multinationals would have allowed them to influence public and legal policies to protect profits, hindering regulations in the public interest.
An appeal from the WHO to protect health
The World Health Organization blames four major industries – tobacco, ultra-processed foods, fossil fuels and alcohol – the deaths of 2.7 million people a year in Europe, accusing them of obstructing public policies that could harm their profits. These “four industries kill at least 7,000 people every day in our region,” declares Hans Kluge, WHO director for the Europe area which includes 53 countries up to Central Asia.
The industries under accusation
The consolidation of these industrial sectors into a small number of multinationals “has allowed them to exercise significant power over the political and legal contexts in which they operate and to hinder public interest regulations that could affect their profit margins,” says the WHO in a report. Industry tactics include exploiting vulnerable people through targeted marketing strategies, deceiving consumers and making false claims about the benefits of their products or their environmental credentials.
Obstacles to health
“These tactics threaten public health gains made over the past century and prevent countries from reaching their health goals,” it added. Industry lobbies are hampering efforts to tackle non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes, says the WHO, urging countries to react by applying stricter regulations on the marketing of unhealthy products, monopolistic practices and lobbying. “People must come before profit, always,” emphasizes Kluge.
Source: Ansa
