On 3rd February, the Secretary of State for Health, John Reid, announced a consultation on improving public health. We see this consultation as an opportunity for all interested parties �  the NHS, local government, non-governmental organisations, schools, employers, industry, the media, central government and individuals themselves - to contribute to a debate on how we together can create the opportunities for everyone to enjoy the best health that is possible for them.

You can get full details of the consultation at:

       web
  www.dh.gov.uk/consultations/liveconsultations

and you can email your answers too:

       email
  [email protected]

The questions are:

What you eat and how you spend your time at home, school, work, leisure make a difference to your health. What would make the most difference to the choices you make:

• Do you want more, or different information about what matters?
• Are there choices you would like to be able to make which aren�t available now?
• What would help you to make healthier choices, for example to do more physical activity?
    [physical activity factsheet]
• In your list of things to be done what should come first and why?

Everyone should be able to make their own choices

• What in particular would make a difference to choices that children, young people, pregnant women, people with disabilities and older people make? What would make the most difference and why?

People in some groups and areas experience health that is worse than average (click to factsheet on health inequalities)

• How are your circumstances affecting your health?
    [mental health factsheet]
• What would support you or your community to be healthier?
• Who could help you?
• What should they do?
• What could local services do to support healthier lifestyles? What would be better done by the community itself?
    [ten tips for better health]

One person�s choice may spoil the chances of good health for others

• Have we got the balance right when it comes to:
• Smoking in enclosed public places and work places eg shops, factories, offices, hospitals, public transport, restaurants, clubs and pubs?
    [tobacco factsheet]
• Anti-social behaviour?
• Using condoms to prevent sexually transmitted infections?
    [sexual health factsheet]

The role of regulation

• Should central and local government take more of a role in supporting people to make healthier choices by making it?
• Easier to access the things that would improve people�s health eg fruit and vegetables, safe walking routes, safe cycling, better communal spaces, access to gyms, swimming pools, sun protection, access to contraception?
    [diet and nutrition factsheet]
    [obesity factsheet]
• More difficult to access the things that can be harmful eg cigarettes and alcohol?
• Should the rules be changed on:
• What gets advertised: on television, in newspapers and magazines, through promotions?
• Availability of tobacco, alcohol, drugs to children and young people?
    [alcohol misuse factsheet]
    [drug misuse factsheet]
• How products such as sweets, snack foods and tobacco are promoted and displayed in shops?

Working together to support healthy choices

• What opportunities are there to influence healthy choices through action by:
  • parents?
  • friends?
  • schools and higher education?
  • employers?
  • faith communities?
  • health and social care professionals?
  • local government, including housing, education and the environment?
  • voluntary and community organisations?
  • retailers?
  • industry?
  • trades unions?
  • the media?
  • leisure organisations?
  • national organisations?
• What should be given priority? Where could more be achieved by working together?