Government ‘should do more for public health’

The government has been advised to ignore claims that it is overextending its powers to infringe personal liberty and instead do more to aid public health.

Research from the Nuffield Council on Bioethics has investigated issues related to alcohol, obesity, infectious diseases, smoking and water fluoridation, with a stress on reducing health inequalities.

The report calls for the use of architectural design and food labelling to reduce obesity, tobacco selling and advertising policies that offer the greatest protection and democratic decision-making on water fluoridation.

It also calls increased taxation on alcohol and reduced hours of sale, recommending an analysis of the effect of extended opening hours on the levels of anti-social behaviour and alcohol consumption, while calling on the industry to not understate the risk of drinking.

Lord Krebs, chair of the committee that produced the report, said: “People often reject the idea of a nanny state.

“But the government has a duty to look after the health of everyone and sometimes that means guiding or restricting our choices.”

Earlier this month, the Department of Health issued a three-month report showing public satisfaction with the introduction of smokefree legislation in England during the summer, with three quarters supporting the ban on smoking in public places and 80 per cent believing it would have a beneficial effect on public health.