New research shows that spending less on tobacco, gambling and sweets is good for the UK economy

A new study from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has found that public health policies that reduce spending on harmful products can actually provide a significant boost to U.K. jobs and the wider economy. The research, published in the journal Addiction, challenges the long-standing industry argument that curbing the sale of tobacco, gambling or unhealthy foods harms the national economy. To test this, SARG researchers developed a sophisticated new model to track how shifts in consumer spending flow through different sectors of the U.K. economy.