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? Why Glasgow? The importance of placeWe chose to run the juries in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, which has particularly poor health outcomes and high inequalities. The juries drew participants from two distinct Glasgow neighbourhoods; one with high availability of alcohol and tobacco products and lower affluence, and another more affluent area with comparatively lower availability. This ‘place-based’ approach encouraged participants to share their experiences of how local areas are impacted by tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food. To kickstart conversations, jury members were asked to share photos reflecting the presence of tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food in their areas. These photos (shared in advance and displayed on the meeting room walls in the first session) highlighted some of the harms caused by these products, and the way relentless marketing and high availability can mean alcohol and unhealthy food are inescapable.Inside the jury processEach jury met separately for two sessions to discuss the harms caused by these products and deliberate on potential policy responses. A third session brought jurors together to present their ‘verdicts’ to politicians, officials and advocates.To inform discussions, jurors were encouraged to engage with a range of evidence, including:Expert research presentations, including four short films introducing commercial determinants and examining the impacts on health and inequalities of alcohol, tobacco and unhealthy foods and two in person presentations.Business and third sector perspectives, delivered via talking head videos.Jury members own ‘lived experiences’ and photos.An overview of ‘live’ policy options featuring in political party manifestos (enabled by the fact the juries took place during the 2024 UK General Election campaign).A series of map, generated by colleagues in WP3, depicting the two areas and showing contrasting availability of unhealthy products and levels of deprivation.This evidence-based deliberation mirrored the way in which criminal trial juries consider multiple arguments and sources What we learnt: Early insightsThe juries generated a wealth of data, including:Qualitative data: transcripts of small group and plenary discussions, participant ‘manifestos for change’ and the photos provided by participants; andQuantitative data: individual questionnaires and voting outcomes on proposed policy measures. A report describing the process and summarising preliminary findings is already available. We are currently analysing the data in more detail, with a view to developing a series of papers reflecting on the process and exploring key findings. Our preliminary analysis (which we are already discussing with interested stakeholders) is highlighting:Significant interest in policy measures to tackle the commercial determinants of health, especially alcoholStrong support for measures that restrict marketing and reduce availabilityUncertainty and some confusion around price-based measures (e.g. surprise that minimum unit pricing for alcohol does not generate revenue for government)Anxiety around the unequal power dynamics involved in the commercial determinants of health, especially when it comes to policy influenceInsights into the ways harmful products shape places in the context of both historical decisions (e.g. alcohol prohibition within specific buildings) and new developments (e.g. online deliveries). We are also exploring options to build on these experiences via linked juries in other contexts, which would provide further insights into the complex interplay between people, products and places. Acknowledgments SPECTRUM members involved in the project were: Dr Lauren Carters-White, Prof Jeff Collin, Prof Jamie Pearce, Dr Rob Ralston, Prof Kat Smith, Prof Niamh Shortt, Dr Roberto Valiente and Dr Tracey Wagner-Rizvi. The final workshop included contributions from Prof Linda Bauld, as SPECTRUM PI and Chief Social Policy Advisor to the Scottish Government. We gratefully acknowledge support given to this initiative by colleagues including Katharine Jenner, Obesity Health Alliance; Prof Gerry McCartney, U. of Glasgow; Dr Garth Reid, Public Health Scotland; Dr Katherine Severi, Institute of Alcohol Studies; and Prof Mark Petticrew (WP1). We particularly wish to express our appreciation for the time and enthusiasm given by all of the jury members, expert witnesses and policy actors who contributed to discussions, without whom the juries would not have been possible. Blog co-authored by Lauren Carters-White, Jeff Collin and Kat Smith. This article was published on 2025-01-31