All classrooms should be free from corporate influence.

The wellness industry’s influence goes beyond dubious health claims. Our new article led by @karremannancy.bsky.social with @spidermaani.bsky.social and Benjamin Hawkins examines the wellness industry from a commercial determinants of health perspective. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

For the reading list: a commercial determinants of health lens on the wellness industry and MAHA. Expect this to be compelling and insightful.

This is the gift of the generational sales ban. A longer future with our loved ones. We will look back on today as the law passes as a watershed moment. The UK has moved from being a country that was gradually reducing smoking to one that will, sooner or later, end smoking.

This seems, you know, bad. Healthy Life Expectancy is the number of years we can expect to live in 'good' health or better. It's fallen by 2 years since 2012-14 and now sits at just under 61 years for both men and women. www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...

Underlying research: bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/4/2/...

The board of British American Tobacco, one of the most powerful and profitable #TobaccoCompanies in the world, met in London yesterday. They had a lot to say about their business and @tcrgbath.bsky.social & @ashorguk.bsky.social were there to hear it.

Interesting research funding opportunity below:

We are offering a unique opportunity for #PublicHealth registrars to contribute to the @lhgp.bsky.social research consortium. Full details here: www.phiuk.org/news/lhgp-na... Deadline for applications: 9 am, Tuesday 28 April.

NEW Social media platforms have a serious legal problem And this problem pre-dates the defeat of Meta and Google in the Kaley GM jury trial Me at @prospectmagazine.co.uk on why Meta and Google lost this case - months before the actual trial www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/techno...

Looks great, important to keep up with the latest merchants of doubt and ask whose interests are served:

Missed our Business of #Health #Misinformation #webinar? Watch it now on YouTube. With 79% of the UK on social media and 22% getting health information there (rising to 40% among Gen Z), the stakes around misinformation have never been higher. youtu.be/j3CRlSeHZio @spidermaani.bsky.social

I'm teaching Mauss' The Gift today in my Modernity & Markets class. I love this text. He claims the logic of the gift economy underlies 'modern' economies, even if we pretend otherwise, suggesting in particular that the welfare state is a gift to workers from the state in recompense for their labor.

Absolutely unable to cope with either "Daddy! Fences" or "Daddy! Snacks"

Here is the World Happiness Report 2026 www.worldhappiness.report/ed/2026/

Weekend reading: A how-to on writing laws to protect kids against food marketing While I am on the topic of legal challenges, UNICEF has produced an invaluable resource. PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM UNHEALTHY FOOD MARKETING: A Toolkit for Developing Effective Laws. It is based on a previous UNICEF…

The Faculty of Public Health recognises that the severe outbreak of meningococcal disease in Kent is deeply concerning to local residents, students, parents, and the wider community. Read our statement here www.fph.org.uk/news/faculty...

ADPH President @felly500.bsky.social joins Dr Margaret McCartney to unpack how commercial interests shape healthcare. In today's episode, Greg looks at why industry goals often clash with public health & how conflicts of interest affect clinical practice.🎧 Listen now: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

Prompt: How do I start my story of my expeditions?

"Research should not only be independent of vested interests but must also be seen to be so" My @bmj.com piece with @fphuk.bsky.social president Tracy Daszkiewicz argues we need a public health approach to study the impact of digital technology on health. #CDOH www.bmj.com/content/392/...

Important piece on 'evidential landscaping', conflicts of interest and limitations in the evidence base, in research on digital technologies and health

🔔 NEW   Calling for a more coherent policy response to driving harm   ✍️ Kate Gray, Grant Ennis, Greg Fell   OPEN ACCESS doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daag026

Facts alone don't change minds—trusted messengers and empathetic conversations do. Shaming vaccine-hesitant parents drives them away. Meeting people with empathy is where real change begins. The goal isn't to win an argument, it's to protect children. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/o...

Remember to watch Ep3 of Our Hospital Through Time tonight at 8pm on Channel 5. There's more of us showing @profaliceroberts.bsky.social our collection items and history of St Bartholomew's Hospital! #History #Archives @bartscharity.bsky.social @bartsnorthwing.bsky.social

It was a busy old week last week, 3 new papers published and I spent Friday in Liverpool speaking at the RCGP conference on Managing Addictions in Primary Care about our alcohol policy research and recent developments in UK alcohol policy (both good and bad)...

Following his keynote speech at this week's @local.gov.uk/ADPH public health conference, ADPH President @felly500.bsky.social writes about the pivotal role local government has in improving the nation's health & why that isn't the same as reducing demand on healthcare. 👀 Read now ➡️ bit.ly/4aUc7s2

Council rejects application for fifth betting shop on the same street, citing risks to public health. Government planning inspector overturns the decision on appeal 🤦🏼‍♂️. www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/2587956...

Join us on 23 March (15:30–17:00) for our upcoming webinar: The Business of Health Misinformation. We will explore how social media platforms are shaping health outcomes and spreading misinformation, and what this means for conflicts of interest between the social media industry and #PublicHealth.

As Healthy Life Expectancy (HLE) in Scotland continues to drop it is worth reminding people that we know #austerity is the main cause. Commentators that fail to discuss that evidence probably aren't qualified to talk about it policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-murder

"Young people aged 11 to 17 are unable to distinguish between non-alcoholic products and traditional alcoholic beverages when these are promoted through sports sponsorship," found a new study. @stir.ac.uk www.stir.ac.uk/news/2026/fe...

Hot off the press - a letter from the Exec Chair of @ukri.org explaining his plans and in particular the financial position of STFC. It notes curiosity driven research is protected and will make up around half of UKRI spend over the coming period www.ukri.org/news/open-le...

📢 New report Alcohol marketing restrictions were meant to be in England’s 10 Year Health Plan. Then they disappeared. Our new report uses FOIs to show how alcohol industry lobbying targeted ministers and pressured government departments to kill the policy. www.ias.org.uk/report/now-y...

Blog from our intern, Sachin, who worked on our project last summer. We are engaging Sheffield residents on corporate influence and the commercial determinants of health. Read below 👇 sphr.nihr.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Thanks to @felly500.bsky.social for chatting to me about how Sheffield's public health team successfully challenged proposals for a new McDonald's drive through in an area with multiple schools, sports facilities, playgrounds and other places children hang out. www.bmj.com/content/392/...

"The risk of alcohol-specific death was 1.8 times higher in those identifying with an LGB+ orientation, compared with those identifying as straight or heterosexual within our study period [in England and Wales]." www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

Who is the Big Tobacco of today? In new work, we find 50% of high profile social media papers are connected to big tech through funding, collaboration and employment. Most connections aren't disclosed. @jbakcoleman.bsky.social @jevinwest.bsky.social @carlbergstrom.com 1 arxiv.org/abs/2601.11507

How can Britain tackle falling child vaccine uptake? The NHS is partly to blame and must make access easier. Great to talk to Helen Skirrow off the back of a new Lancet paper on UK vaccine hesitancy:

Many women use alcohol to cope with menopause and midlife changes. In this blog for @aha-uk.bsky.social Dr Abi Rose explores why it’s time to include alcohol in the menopause conversation. Read more 🔽 ahauk.org/menopause-an...

🧵1/ The Christmas @bmj.com is always an opportunity to use satire as a vehicle for serious health messaging. Borrowing from Jonathan Swift, I ask, if public health is to “work with industry,” why stop at alcohol and gambling? Why not go all the way… and collaborate with organised crime?

In this new opinion piece published via @bmj.com, FPH President Professor Tracy Daszkiewicz outlines the changes we need to see in public health following the UK covid-19 inquiry's second report. - Proper funding - Clear communication - A protected workforce www.bmj.com/content/391/...

Celebrity chefs told Californians that PFAS-coated pans were “safe,” and successfully lobbied Gavin Newsom to veto a bill phasing them out They didn’t mention they all sell PFAS-coated pans. New joint investigation with @mirandagreen.bsky.social and @atmosmag.bsky.social is out:

www.sciencedirect.com:5037/science/arti... 10 yr analysis of growth of harmful product industries on high streets split by income helpful analysis More deprived areas were more likely to gain health harming amenities. More deprived areas were more likely to lose health conducive amenities

Smells like eugenics: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Tomorrow, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will hear oral arguments on whether the Commonwealth can continue to pursue its case against Meta. Meta is trying to block the case by expanding Section 230 into a broad legal protection, arguing it shouldn’t face scrutiny for its platform design.

Proud to be supporting this joint call on Gov to deliver a strong & fair Food Strategy for everyone as members of @oha-updates.bsky.social, in partnership with Sustain, Eating Better, Wildlife and Countryside Link & Plant-Based Food Alliance UK. obesityhealthalliance.org.uk/2025/12/04/f...

Wow. Should not be surprised because this really is the playbook of industry influence in action but this is a lot.

I hope someone draws this wonderful story about Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and the power of the arts to help us see things differently, to the attention of our Education Secretary. Do read it, it will lift your spirits.