Pavilion Publishing and Media Ltd
Blue Sky Offices Shoreham, 25 Cecil Pashley Way, Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, BN43 5FF, UNITED KINGDOM
Tel: +44 (0)1273 434 943
Email: [email protected]
The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) is calling on governments around the world to help limit people’s exposure to tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed food products to help prevent avoidable cancer deaths.
For World Cancer Day on 4 February, UICC wants them to prioritise four policy actions to reduce access to products marketed by companies whose corporate interests often outweigh concerns for global health.
It says that nearly half of all deaths due to cancer – 4.45 million out of more than nine million in 2019 – are caused by known modifiable risk factors, with smoking, alcohol consumption and high body mass index (BMI) among the top three.
Cary Adams, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control, said: “Millions of avoidable cancer deaths are caused by unhealthy products sold by heartless companies who interfere in policy debates and misuse science to secure a favourable commercial environment. As we celebrate World Cancer Day, UICC stands ready to support governments in their efforts to limit people’s exposure to tobacco, alcohol and ultra-processed food products.”
Reducing the availability and consumption of unhealthy products
Given the growing burden of cancer globally and particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), UICC calls upon governments this World Cancer Day to strengthen their resolve and implement policies that severely restrict the ability of companies to market and sell their carcinogenic products.
In particular, UICC recommends four policy actions that have proved effective in reducing the availability and consumption of unhealthy products:
- Increase taxation: Studies in the US show that a 10% increase in the price of cigarettes reduces adult consumption by 3-5%, and youth are up to three times more responsive than adults.
- Enforce marketing limitations, including age restrictions and reduced points of sale. A government analysis in the UK showed that banning junk food advertising on TV before 9pm would result in £1.9 billion in public health benefits with reductions in obesity-related ill health over children’s lifetimes.
- Improve labelling: Impose product warning and information labels.
- Run extensive public education campaigns to improve knowledge of risk factors, and further counter misleading advertising, market promotion and policy interference.
Professor Jeff Dunn AO, President of the Union for International Cancer Control, added: “Australia was one of the first countries to ban tobacco advertising and the first to impose plain packaging for cigarettes. These policies have led to less brand identification, lower acceptance of smoking, better perception of health risks, reduced uptake among youth and more adults quitting.
“Similar policies for alcohol and ultra-processed foods, aligned with the particular risks of these products, will help blunt the unscrupulous marketing strategies of some companies who target youth and other vulnerable populations with their unhealthy products.”