Government involvement in public health - 1950 to the present day
As well as setting up a system of comprehensive welfareActions or procedures designed to improve the physical and mental well-being of those in need., governments since 1900 have been active in trying to encourage their populations to live healthier lifestyles.
Air quality
Important government action was taken on pollution in 1956. The Clean Air Act required factories and homes in specified areas to burn special types of ‘smokeless’ fuel. The smokeless zones grew over time.
Smoking
Smoking tobacco had grown in popularity since 1900. It was part of everyday life for many people. By 1950, 80 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women smoked.
During the 1950s, evidence was mounting in relation to the link between smoking and lung cancer. In 1950, Richard Doll and Austin Bradford Hill conducted a study and concluded that the more a person smoked, the more likely they were to get lung cancer. In 1954, another study confirmed these findings.
At first, the government was reluctant to take action on smoking because:
- the evidence of the link between smoking and cancer was not fully accepted at that stage
- they were worried about interfering with people’s personal choices
However, in 1962, the Royal College of Physicians published more convincing proof of the link between smoking and cancer. Since then, governments have warned people about the risks and taken further action:
| Date | Government action |
| 1965 | Television adverts for cigarettes were banned. |
| 1971 | Tobacco companies agreed with the government to place written health warnings on their packaging. |
| 1986 | Cinema adverts for cigarettes were banned. |
| 1998 | The government offered free nicotine replacement therapy for people trying to give up smoking. |
| 2007 | Smoking in all public places was completely banned. This was aimed at tackling ‘passive smoking’ (where non-smokers inhale smoke from smokers), which was killing over 11,000 people every year. |
| 2016 | Parliament passed a law saying all cigarette packaging had to be completely plain, with no attractive colours or designs. |
| Date | 1965 |
|---|---|
| Government action | Television adverts for cigarettes were banned. |
| Date | 1971 |
|---|---|
| Government action | Tobacco companies agreed with the government to place written health warnings on their packaging. |
| Date | 1986 |
|---|---|
| Government action | Cinema adverts for cigarettes were banned. |
| Date | 1998 |
|---|---|
| Government action | The government offered free nicotine replacement therapy for people trying to give up smoking. |
| Date | 2007 |
|---|---|
| Government action | Smoking in all public places was completely banned. This was aimed at tackling ‘passive smoking’ (where non-smokers inhale smoke from smokers), which was killing over 11,000 people every year. |
| Date | 2016 |
|---|---|
| Government action | Parliament passed a law saying all cigarette packaging had to be completely plain, with no attractive colours or designs. |
Healthy lifestyles
Changes in people’s diet and exercise levels have resulted in an obesityThe medical term for being very overweight, owing to the excessive accumulation of body fat. crisis, causing serious health problems for many people. Governments have tried to tackle this by running healthy lifestyle campaigns.
In 2009, the government launched the Change4Life campaign,now part of the Better Health Brand, which promoted daily exercise and maintaining a healthy diet. This was particularly aimed at children. It included ideas for after-school activities and healthy recipes that children would enjoy.
