Public support in Great Britain for policies that target unhealthy commodity industries: Tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and unhealthy food and drink

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Author(s): Reed, Emily ; Buss, Vera ; Bebbington, Corrina ; Bunce, Laura ; Cheeseman, Hazel ; Severi, Katherine ; Collin, Jeff

Journal: BMC Public Health

Year Published: 2025

Date Added: February 20, 2026

This study examined public support for policies that target unhealthy commodities and factors that were linked with support. The researchers used data from the 2023 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Smokefree GB survey. Respondents were 12,271 adults living in Great Britain. Overall, respondents supported most public health policies that targeted the unhealthy commodity industries, especially the gambling and tobacco industries. More respondents supported policies that directly target industries through the use of levies, rather than policies that increase product prices for consumers (i.e., through taxes). Sociodemographic factors (i.e., gender, age, social grade) and risky use of unhealthy commodities (i.e., smoking, alcohol intake above guideline recommendations, daily gambling) influenced support for public health policies.

Citation: Reed, E., Buss, V., Bebbington, C., Bunce, L., Cheeseman, H., Severi, K., Jenner, K., & Collin, J. (2025). Public opinion on policy interventions for regulating four unhealthy commodity industries: A cross-sectional online survey of a representative sample of British adults 2023. BMC Public Health. 25, 4402. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25271-x

Article DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-25271-x

Keywords: alcohol ; gambling ; industry accountability ; junk food ; public policy ; smoking

Topics: Comorbidities ; Information for Policy Makers ; Substance Use

Conceptual Framework Factors: Gambling Environment ; Environment - Public Policy

Study Design: Secondary Data Analysis

Geographic Coverage: United Kingdom, Great Britain

Study Population: Adults (18+) living in Britain (n=12,271)

Sampling Procedure: Data were drawn from the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Smokefree GB survey in 2023. Respondents were recruited from a YouGov online panel to ensure a representative sample of British adults.

Study Funding:

The survey was funded through core funding to Action on Smoking and Health from Cancer Researcher UK and British Heart Foundation. Additional funding was provided by Fresh, London Tobacco Alliance, and ADPH Yorkshire and Humber and ASH Wales.