In his annual report, the Chief Medical Officer for Wales has called on large companies to take greater corporate social responsibility for public health in his 2023 annual report.

The report 'Shaping our Health’, focuses on the strategies and approaches used by businesses to promote products and choices that are detrimental to our health. This includes vaping, gambling, and ultra processed food and drinks.

The report by Sir Frank Atherton says big industries can significantly influence our environment and our choices in varied and complex ways; from the sourcing and manufacturing of products to marketing methods.

The report also highlights climate change as being a major threat to public health and calls on businesses to recognise the impact they have on the climate crisis and asks for full transparency on all environmental claims, amid global cases of greenwashing.

He said: "Wales already has a strong track record of leading the way on protecting the health of the public.

"However our Health and Social Care system is already under immense pressure. We need to employ all means to reduce the risk of unhealthy behaviours like smoking, poor diet, drug and alcohol use, gambling and lack of physical activity.

"High use of such products is often less about individual ‘choices’ and more as a result of the strategies used by large companies who produce, market, distribute, or sell these products."