Every year, 2.7 million people die in Europe because of the tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed food and fossil fuel industries, according to a report from the World Health Organization (WHO). These sectors use deceptive marketing tactics and obstruct public health policies.
These industries are responsible for a quarter of deaths in Europe, or 7,400 deaths per day. Tobacco is the leading cause with more than a million deaths annually, followed by fossil fuels, alcohol and ultra-processed foods.
WHO recommends stricter regulations on marketing of harmful products
The WHO report, published on June 12, 2024, reveals that the tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed food and fossil fuel industries directly or indirectly cause 2.7 million deaths per year in Europe. Tobacco alone is responsible for more than a million deaths per year, while fine particulate matter and ozone pollution from fossil fuels cause nearly 580,000 deaths. Alcohol and ultra-processed foods contribute to 430,000 and 400,000 deaths per year respectively. These alarming figures illustrate the scale of the public health crisis caused by these industries.
These sectors are not only harming public health, they are also using sophisticated tactics to maximize their profits while hindering the evolution of regulations, points out the WHO. Hans Kluge, WHO regional director for Europe, points out that these industries exploit vulnerable people through targeted marketing strategies and misleading claims about the supposed benefits of their products. The WHO report calls on governments to impose stricter regulations on the marketing of products harmful to health and to combat conflicts of interest.
Prevention policies are compromised by the manufacturers themselves
The practices of these industries fuel inequalities and increase rates of chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and diabetes. The report indicates that multinationals in these sectors influence health, political, economic and media systems to protect their financial interests. This creates an environment that delays and compromises prevention and public health policies. Additionally, efforts to reduce the consumption of harmful products, such as tobacco and alcohol, are constantly undermined by lobbyists and aggressive marketing strategies.
The WHO is calling on governments to take decisive action to more strictly regulate these industries. These include limiting the marketing of harmful products, imposing taxes on multinationals and putting in place more transparent policies to avoid conflicts of interest. Measures such as banning smoking in public places, taxing alcohol and labeling food must be widely implemented. The report also highlights the importance of promoting predominantly plant-based diets and limiting alcohol consumption to reduce the risk of disease.
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