Tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food: the English in favor of new regulations

A recent survey conducted for the Health Foundation shows clear support among the English population for tightening regulations on tobacco, alcohol, and ultra-processed, overly sweet, or overly salty foods. Given the health impacts of these various products, the Health Foundation is calling on public authorities to implement ambitious public health policies, particularly for the most vulnerable populations.

The study, carried out by Ipsos for the Health Foundation in May 2024, is based on a sample of 2,136 people aged 16 and over, representative of the national English population.[1].

Legal age of tobacco sale and reduction in the number of points of sale: general support from the population

According to the survey, tobacco control measures are overwhelmingly supported by the English public. For example, 69% of respondents said they supported gradually increasing the age at which tobacco sales are prohibited (one year per year). Such a measure would effectively ban tobacco sales for a given generation. Only 15% of respondents indicated they opposed the implementation of this proposal.

Similarly, the Ipsos survey reports strong support among the English population (62%) for a possible policy of reduction in the number of retailers, aimed at reducing the accessibility of tobacco products.

The poll shows different results depending on the respondents' political leanings. For example, Conservative Party supporters are more likely to strongly support raising the tobacco ban age than Labour Party voters (55% vs. 43%). Conversely, those likely to vote for the Labour Party are more likely to strongly support reducing the number of retailers than their Conservative counterparts (38% vs. 34%).

Advertising and taxation of salty, sugary and ultra-processed foods

The Ipsos survey also shows very clear support among the English population for strengthening regulations to limit the consumption of ultra-processed, overly sweet, or overly salty foods. For example, 62% of respondents said they supported banning all advertising for these products before 9 p.m. on television and online, while only 14% indicated they opposed such a measure. Furthermore, 58% of the population said they supported the proposal to tax producers of overly salty or overly sweet products, and to earmark a portion of this tax revenue to provide a financial incentive for people in precarious situations to purchase fruit and vegetables. Similarly, 53% of respondents were in favor of implementing a similar measure, also targeting producers of ultra-processed food products.

The introduction of a tax on producers of overly sweet or salty products is overwhelmingly supported by Labour Party supporters (70%), much more than by Conservative Party supporters (54%). For the taxation of ultra-processed foods, the gap between political leanings is even more marked, with 64% Labour Party voters in favour, 17 points more than Conservative voters.

A relative majority of English people in favour of strengthening alcohol regulations

The survey reported more mixed results regarding alcohol regulations. For example, the proposal to ban marketing at sporting events was the only measure that managed to gain the support of the majority of the population (52%). Furthermore, 42% of respondents indicated that they supported the implementation of a minimum price for alcohol, to prevent the marketing of alcoholic beverages at overly accessible prices. Finally, only 38% of respondents declared themselves in favor of banning promotional practices on the sale of alcohol. However, this lower level of support for anti-alcohol measures is mainly explained by the fact that for each proposal, between 21% and 26% of respondents indicated that they were neither in favor nor opposed to their implementation. As a result, the proportion of the population reporting opposition to these three measures remains relatively low (between 25% and 35%).

Here again, respondents' levels of support tend to vary according to their political preferences. Overall, Conservative Party voters are significantly less supportive of these three measures. For example, the proportion in favor of banning promotional practices and marketing strategies at sporting events is two points lower than the national average, and the proportion supporting the introduction of a minimum retail price is six points lower. Conversely, Liberal Democrat supporters generally show the strongest support for alcohol-related measures. With the exception of the ban on promotional practices (48%), this category of respondents is overwhelmingly in favor of these measures, with a support of up to 55% for the introduction of a minimum retail price, 13 points higher than the average for all respondents.

©Generation Without Tobacco

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[1] The Health Foundation, What action does the public think the government should take on tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food?, 12/08/2024, (accessed 13/08/2024)