The right to life – and by extension to a long and healthy life – is enshrined in constitutions the world over and is currently topping the agendas in a number of jurisdictions. Governments have launched new public health initiatives in a bid to keep their populations in the pink and companies whose products or practices have adverse health implications are feeling the full weight of the law. Meanwhile, new health scares have sparked hopes of a cash bonanza in one jurisdiction and accusations of scaremongering in another.
When it comes to health, prevention is always better than cure and with this in mind several governments are pushing through new laws that aim to promote healthier lifestyles. Foremost among these initiatives is the campaign to stamp out smoking, a war which is being waged on several fronts – including, most recently, through the media. The UK Government has finally won its protracted battle to ban the promotion of tobacco products, with a prohibition against advertising in the press, on posters and on billboards which took effect from 14 February. According to the UK public health minister, the restrictions are “part of an integrated package of measures to tackle the death toll from smoking”.
