Each year, about 2,7 million people die in Europe, mostly as a result of tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and fossil fuel pollution, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report.
“Four industries are killing at least 7,000 people each day on our continent,” said WHO’s Director for Europe, Hans Kluge.
According to the UN health agency, these four sectors significantly drive the development of non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular ailments, cancers, and diabetes.
Not only can these conditions be caused by smoking, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, or CO2 emissions, but the industries are also proactive in initiating the problem.
'Deceptive tactics'
The report mentions “deceptive tactics,” such as political lobbying, advertising targeting children, and propagating false information through the media as means used to increase the use of these harmfull substances.
The WHO calls for stricter rules on marketing, lobbying, and fundraising. It points out that several countries are setting good examples.
In Estonia, for instance, dentists, nurses, and doctors have successfully brought a tax on sugary drinks into the political agenda, while Slovenia adopted stricter tobacco legislation under civil-society pressure.
'Our current efforts are still not enough'
Outgoing Belgian Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke, who presented the report in Brussels, believes governments should frame these risks as a “systemic problem” rather than the result of individual choices.
He suggests limiting advertisements for unhealthy products and ensuring that the industries do not influence politics.
“Our current efforts are still not enough," Vandenbroek said. "I urge all newly elected European parliamentarians and policymakers to acknowledge the enormity of the problem and its profound impact on public health and our democracies.”
