Firms earn £53bn a year from UK smoking, excess drinking and junk food – study

A coalition of organisations wants the government to increase regulation on industries whose products are harmful to people’s health. Photograph: william87/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Firms are earning £52.7bn a year from UK sales of tobacco, junk food and excessive alcohol, and their consumption is contributing to Britain’s rising tide of illness, a report says.

The figures prompted a coalition of health, medical and children’s organisations to demand an urgent crackdown on “the irresponsible behaviour of health-harming industries”.