Personal insights and blogs from members of the SPECTRUM Consortium A collection of blogs, articles and interviews featuring members across the SPECTRUM Consortium Exploring young people’s views of alcohol sports sponsorship: findings from a qualitative research study Alcohol sponsorship of sporting events is a contentious issue due to its visibility and influence on young audiences. Dr. Richard Purves leads a new SPECTRUM study exploring children and young people's exposure to alcohol sponsorship, including where and how often they see it and their perceptions of it. The project also investigated their views on alibi and surrogate marketing, particularly whether they differentiate between the marketing of NoLo variations and their regular-strength counterparts. Understanding the complex links between mental health and unhealthy commodity use Within SPECTRUM, the overarching goal of Work Package 7 was to understand and ultimately disrupt the connections between unhealthy commodities and mental health. The Work Package had several objectives; this article provides an overview of research conducted to investigate the relationship between unhealthy commodities and mental ill-health; completed in close collaboration with Work Package 3. Multistakeholder initiatives in the global food system: transformative change or reinforcing the status quo? Multistakeholder initiatives (MSIs) have become a popular approach to addressing public issues, including those related to public health and the food system. New SPECTRUM-funded research explores who is involved as ‘stakeholders’ in MSIs and highlights ongoing power imbalances in multistakeholder approaches. What Should Governments Do About Harmful Products? Insights from Glasgow's Citizens' Juries In Summer 2024, SPECTRUM collaborated with Hopkins van Mil to conduct two linked citizens’ juries in Glasgow. We tasked jurors with considering the following, critical question: what should the government do to tackle the harms caused by alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy food? Stubbing smoking out: what do people think? Securing public health legislation is difficult. One thing which inhibits or facilitates this is the extent to which the public supports measures. Between 2021 and 2023, public support for action on smoking and vaping has significantly grown which should give the government confidence to pursue a bold agenda on tackling these products. Could a tobacco license scheme in Scotland disincentivise tobacco sales? The Scottish Government has pledged to achieve a smoke-free generation by 2034, identifying the reduction of tobacco availability across communities as a top policy priority. Dr. Roberto Valiente leads a new SPECTRUM study exploring how implementing a tobacco license scheme could effectively contribute to this goal. Exploring Scotland’s Alcohol and Tobacco Landscape: unveiling new CRESHMap interactive tool Dr Roberto Valiente Borox explores the potential of a newly launched interactive tool that maps the availability of alcohol and tobacco in Scotland, specifically designed for neighborhood analysis. Capturing the consultation process: industry tactics and arguments In light of the recent Scottish Government consultation into alcohol marketing, SPECTRUM Research Fellow, Dr Alice Tompson, explores the ways in which unhealthy commodity industries exploit the consultation process to influence policy that favours profits over public health. Towards meaningful impact: bridging research with policy Establishing and maintaining dialogue between research and policy is key to achieving impact. Find out more about our recent activities engaging with Scottish Government policy teams and the Scottish Parliament on the topic of industry influence, and the crucial role of our knowledge brokers. The Kellogg’s judicial review: food for thought on the role of litigation in public health? Breakfast cereal manufacturer, Kellogg’s, recently lost a High Court legal challenge against new UK government regulations designed to tackle childhood obesity. SPECTRUM members, Keith Syrett and Cécile Knai, explore the case and its implications for public health. The declining importance of tobacco sales to convenience stores in Britain The tobacco industry has long argued that tobacco is vital for increasing customer footfall in small retailers. Professor Jamie Pearce explains why this is no longer the case. Levelling Up: A serious attempt to reduce regional inequalities in health? By Alistair Brown, Kat Smith, Rob Ralston and Clementine Hill O’Connor How reality TV is driving exposure to tobacco, alcohol and ‘junk food’ content Despite current regulations, new research from the University of Nottingham has found reality TV shows drive widespread exposure to tobacco, alcohol and ‘Junk food’ content. SPECTRUM Research Assistant, Jaspreet Bal Randhawa, discusses the study findings. In conversation... with Professor Niamh Fitzgerald, hosted by Dr Nason Maani SPECTRUM Deputy Director and Impact Lead, Professor Niamh Fitzgerald, sits down with Dr Nason Maani to discuss her journey into public health and how to generate impact. Why public involvement is crucial for quality research Following the launch of our new public involvement group, SPECTRUM Research Fellow, Dr Parvati Perman-Howe, reminds us why working with members of the public is crucial to delivering quality research and shares her top tips for meaningful public involvement. Industry influence: a barrier to progress in public health policy SPECTRUM researchers Professor Mark Petticrew and Professor Jeff Collin discuss the influence of powerful unhealthy commodity industries as a significant barrier to progress in public health policy. How can we turn the tide on obesity? Taking forward recommendations from the healthy weight strategy Caroline Cerny from the Obesity Health Alliance shares highlights from our joint webinar on 16 November, exploring how to turn recommendations from the recently published healthy weight strategy into action. Monitoring smoking behaviour across Scotland, Wales, and England SPECTRUM Research Fellow, Dr Loren Kock, outlines recent progress from the Smoking Toolkit Study following the launch of their new website. Ten years of Stoptober Jamie Brown, University College London, and Martin Dockrell, Public Health England, reflect on the Stoptober national smoking cessation campaign as it enters its tenth year. Putting the country’s health first on the route to Covid-19 recovery This week marks Global Week for Action on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). One year on from the Obesity Strategy: How far have we come, how far to go? Caroline Cerny, Alliance Lead at the Obesity Health Alliance, marks one year of the Government’s landmark Tackling Obesity strategy. In Conversation… with Professor Linda Bauld, hosted by Dr Lauren Carters-White SPECTRUM Director, Professor Linda Bauld, discusses her path into public health, highlights of her career to date, and her science communication work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Potential withdrawal of online advertising ban of unhealthy food Dr Lauren Carters-White explains why the news that the Government is potentially reneging on their proposal to ban online advertisements of HFSS products is a particularly concerning one - especially as this was highlighted as a flagship policy in Summer 2020 and a key part of the UK Government’s new obesity strategy What does the new UK Government legislation on unhealthy food promotions mean for public health? SPECTRUM Research Fellow, Dr Lauren Carters-White, discusses opportunities and challenges around the recent UK Government announcement of unhealthy food promotions legislation. What next for tobacco control in Scotland? Professor Niamh Shortt queries the next steps for tobacco control in Scotland, in a blog for The Centre for Research on Environment Society and Health (CRESH) Pervasive and inescapable: parents’ and children’s views of online advertising of unhealthy food and drink to children Dr Lauren White has written a blog on her PhD, which examined parents’ and children’s views on the regulation of online advertising of unhealthy food and drink to children This article was published on 2022-07-16
