Cricket: notching up runs for food and alcohol companies?

Unhealthy and health promoting sponsorship of male and female professional sporting teams in Australia

ISSUE ADDRESSED

There are concerns that unhealthy industries may use sponsorships to align their brands with the increased popularity of professional women's sporting events. This study aimed to identify and compare the sponsors of Australian male and female professional sporting teams in relation to unhealthy industries (alcohol, gambling, discretionary food and drink, and venues) and health-promoting companies and organisations (charities, government departments, and educational institutions).

METHODS

A web-based scan was conducted from July to October 2021 to identify team and uniform sponsors, with descriptive statistics used to identify and compare results.

RESULTS

About one tenth of sponsors (team n = 269; 10.9%; uniform n = 62; 10.6%) were for unhealthy industries. Men's teams had a greater number of these sponsors as compared to women's teams. Just under 10% of sponsors were for health-promoting organisations (team n = 210; 8.5%; uniform n = 44; 7.5%), with women's teams more likely to have these sponsors as compared to men's teams.

CONCLUSIONS

Professional sport provides an important opportunity to facilitate health-promoting rather than -harming sponsors. Health-promoting sponsors are more prominent in women's sport, but as women's professional sport continues to grow in popularity, there is a need for policy, funding, and support to prevent engagement with unhealthy industry sponsorship and create a level playing field with men's sport. SO WHAT?: Mechanisms should be developed to help sporting codes, particularly women's sport, to adopt business models that are not reliant on industries that cause harm. Establishing strong relationships with health-promoting organisations may provide alternative sponsorship opportunities for sporting teams.

Children's measured exposure to food and beverage advertising on television in Toronto (Canada), May 2011-May 2019

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to unhealthy food advertising is a known determinant of children's poor dietary behaviours. The purpose of this study was to quantify and characterize Canadian children's exposure to food advertising on broadcast television and examine trends over time.

METHODS

Objectively measured advertising exposure data for 19 food categories airing on 30 stations broadcast in Toronto were licenced for May 2011 and May 2019. Using ad ratings data, the average number of food advertisements viewed by children aged 2-11 years, overall, by food category and by type of television station (child-appealing, adolescent-appealing and generalist stations), was estimated per time period.

RESULTS

In May 2019, children viewed an average of 136 food advertisements on television, 20% fewer than in May 2011. More than half of advertisements viewed in May 2019 promoted unhealthy food categories such as fast food (43% of exposure), candy (6%), chocolate (6%) and regular soft drinks (5%) and only 17% of their total exposure occurred on child-appealing stations. Between May 2011 and May 2019, children's exposure increased the most, in absolute terms, for savory snack foods (+7.2 ad exposures/child), fast food (+5.4) and regular soft drinks (+5.3) with most of these increases occurring on generalist stations.

CONCLUSION

Canadian children are still exposed to advertisements promoting unhealthy food categories on television despite voluntary restrictions adopted by some food companies. Statutory restrictions should be adopted and designed such that children are effectively protected from unhealthy food advertising on both stations intended for general audiences and those appealing to younger audiences.

Children's measured exposure to food and beverage advertising on television in a regulated environment, May 2011-2019

OBJECTIVE

To quantify food/beverage advertising on television in Montreal (Quebec), to estimate and characterise children's exposure and to examine trends over time.

DESIGN

Television food advertising data were licensed for nineteen food categories and eighteen stations for May 2011, 2016 and 2019. The frequency of advertisements and the average number viewed per child aged 2-11 years overall, by food category and by station type (i.e. youth-appealing (n 3) and generalist (n 15) stations) were determined. The percent change in advertising frequency and exposure between May 2011 and 2019 was calculated.

SETTING

Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

This study used media data and did not directly involve human participants.

RESULTS

The total number of television advertisements increased by 11 % between May 2011 (n 41 084) and May 2019 (n 45 406); however, exposure to food/beverage advertisements decreased by 53 %, going from 226 ads/child in May 2011 to 107 ads/child in May 2019. Overall, the most advertised food categories in both May 2011 and 2019 were fast food (29·8 % and 39·2 %, respectively) followed by chocolate (14·2 %) in 2011 and savory snacks (9·7 %) in 2019. In May 2019, children were predominantly exposed to unhealthy food categories such as fast food (41·3 % of exposure), savory snacks (7·5 %), chocolate (5·0 %) and regular soft drinks (4·5 %), and most (89·3 %) of their total exposure occurred on generalist television stations.

CONCLUSION

Despite Quebec's restrictions on commercial advertising directed to children under 13 years, Quebecois children are still frequently exposed to unhealthy food advertising on television. Government should tighten restrictions to protect children from this exposure.

Attitudes of sports organisation members to junk food sponsorship

OBJECTIVES

To explore sports organisation members' attitudes to sponsorship of sport by energy-dense, nutrient-poor food and drink ('junk food') brands.

STUDY DESIGN

The study design is a cross-sectional study.

METHODS

An online survey of adult members of three sports organisations that did not accept junk food sponsorship in Victoria, Australia in 2018: one was responsible for an elite team in a national competition (5000-10,000 members); one managed a team sport competition across Victoria (50,000-100,000 registered junior and adult participants, referees and coaches); and one administered a junior team sport competition for boys and girls in a major city (10,000-15,000 participants).

RESULTS

Most (71%) of the 2224 respondents reported it was important/very important that their organisation did not accept junk food sponsorship. A higher proportion was concerned/very concerned about junk food companies sponsoring children's sport (60%) compared with such companies sponsoring elite (49%, P < 0.001) or community adult (39%, P < 0.001) sport. A higher proportion of respondents were likely/very likely to support a policy that restricted junk food sponsorship of children's sport (84%), compared with a policy restricting sponsorship of elite (76%, P > 0.001) and adult community (74%, P > 0.001) sport. Two-thirds of respondents supported restricting junk food companies from sponsoring sport, even if fees for children's (66%) and community adult (65%) sport increased, or if membership and attendance costs for elite sport supporters increased (63%).

CONCLUSIONS

In the Australian context of this study, junk food sponsorship of sport, particularly children's sport, is a concern to members of sports organisations. Although still high, support for restricting such sponsorship declines if members perceive it will lead to increases in participation costs and decreases in participation opportunities. Initiatives restricting junk food sponsorship of sport are likely to receive strong support from the sports community, particularly when the focus is on children's sport, and participation costs and opportunities are not negatively impacted.

Exposure to Food and Beverage Advertising on Television among Canadian Adolescents, 2011 to 2016

Adolescents represent a key audience for food advertisers, however there is little evidence of adolescent exposure to food marketing in Canada. This study examined trends in Canadian adolescents’ exposure to food advertising on television. To do so, data on 19 food categories were licensed from Nielsen Media Research for May 2011, 2013, and 2016 for the broadcasting market of Toronto, Canada. The average number of advertisements viewed by adolescents aged 12–17 years on 31 television stations during the month of May each year was estimated using television ratings data. Findings revealed that between May 2011 and May 2016, the total number of food advertisements aired on all television stations increased by 4%, while adolescents’ average exposure to food advertising decreased by 31%, going from 221 ads in May 2011 to 154 in May 2016. In May 2016, the advertising of fast food and sugary drinks dominated, relative to other categories, accounting for 42% and 11% of all exposures, respectively. The findings demonstrate a declining trend in exposure to television food advertising among Canadian adolescents, which may be due to shifts in media consumption. These data may serve as a benchmark for monitoring and evaluating future food marketing policies in Canada.

Exploring the relationship between Big Food corporations and professional sports clubs: a scoping review

OBJECTIVE

Professional sport occupies a prominent cultural position in societies across the globe and commercial organisations make use of this to promote their products. The present scoping review explores existing academic literature on the relationship between professional sports clubs and food and drink marketing and considers how this relationship may impact upon the public's health.

DESIGN

The scoping review searched six databases. Experts were also consulted. Records written in languages other than English were excluded. We also excluded records relating to mega events (e.g. Olympics, Football World Cup) and alcohol marketing, because of the attention already given to these.

SETTING

Professional sports clubs.

RESULTS

We identified 18 166 titles, reviewed 163 abstracts and read twenty-six full texts. We included six papers in the review. Four were from Australia and New Zealand. The Australasian literature focused largely on the marketing of foods and beverages to children and the potential impact on consumption. Single papers from researchers in Turkey and the USA were identified. The Turkish paper analysed shirt sponsorship in football leagues internationally and showed food and beverage (including alcohol) companies were the most common sponsors. The US paper examined a mixed reaction to a football team named after an energy drink.

CONCLUSIONS

Commercial relationships between professional sports clubs and Big Food corporations have largely eluded scrutiny in much of the world. The current review highlights the lack of public health research on these relationships. Research exploring the interdependent commercial practices of food and drink companies and professional sports clubs is urgently needed.

Commercial determinants of health: advertising of alcohol and unhealthy foods during sporting events

Tobacco, alcohol and foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar generate much of the global burden of noncommunicable diseases. We therefore need a better understanding of how these products are promoted.The promotion of tobacco products through sporting events has largely disappeared over the last two decades, but advertising and sponsorship continues bycompanies selling alcohol, unhealthy food and sugar-sweetened beverage. The sponsorship of sporting events such as the Olympic Games, the men's FIFA World Cup and the men's European Football Championships in 2016, has received some attention in recent years in the public health literature. Meanwhile, British football and the English Premier League have become global events with which transnational companies are keen to be associated, to promote their brands to international markets. Despite its reach, the English Premier League marketing and sponsorship portfolio has received very little scrutiny from public health advocates. We call for policy-makers and the public health community to formulate an approach to the sponsorship of sporting events, one that accounts for public health concerns.

The impact of unhealthy food sponsorship vs. pro-health sponsorship models on young adults' food preferences: a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Unhealthy foods are promoted heavily, through food company sponsorship of elite sport, resulting in extensive exposure among young adults who are avid sport spectators. This study explores the effects of sponsorship of an elite sporting event by: (A) non-food brands (control), (B) unhealthy food brands, (C) healthier food brands, or (D) an obesity prevention public health campaign on young adults' brand awareness, attitudes, image perceptions, event-sponsor fit perceptions, and preference for food sponsors' products.

METHODS

A between-subjects web-based experiment was conducted, consisting of four sponsorship conditions (A through D) featuring three product categories within each condition. Australian adults (N = 1132) aged 18-24 years were recruited via a national online panel. Participants viewed promotional videos and news stories about an upcoming international, multi-sport event (with sponsor content edited to reflect each condition), completed a distractor task, and then answered questions assessing the response variables. Regression analyses were conducted to test for differences by sponsorship condition on the respective outcome measures.

RESULTS

Compared to the control condition, unhealthy food sponsorship promoted higher awareness of, and more favourable attitudes towards, unhealthy food sponsor brands. Unhealthy food sponsorship also led to greater perceived event-sponsor fit and transfer of perceptions of the sporting event to the unhealthy food sponsor brands, relative to the control group. Exposure to sponsorship for healthier foods produced similar sponsorship effects for healthier food sponsor brands, as well as prompting a significant increase in the proportion of young adults showing a preference for these products. Obesity prevention campaign sponsorship promoted higher campaign awareness and perceived event-sponsor fit, but did not impact food attitudes or preference for unhealthy versus healthier foods.

CONCLUSION

Findings suggest that restricting elite sport sponsorship to healthier food brands that meet set nutritional criteria could help promote healthier eating among young adults. Sporting organisations should be encouraged to seek sponsorship from companies who produce healthier food brands and government-funded social marketing campaigns.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) registration number ACTRN12618000368235 . Retrospectively registered 12 March 2018.

Sports Sponsorships of Food and Nonalcoholic Beverages

BACKGROUND

Food and nonalcoholic beverage companies spend millions of dollars on professional sports sponsorships, yet this form of marketing is understudied. These sponsorships are valuable marketing tools but prompt concerns when unhealthy products are associated with popular sports organizations, especially those viewed by youth.

METHODS

This descriptive study used Nielsen audience data to select 10 sports organizations with the most 2-17 year old viewers of 2015 televised events. Sponsors of these organizations were identified and assigned to product categories. We identified advertisements promoting food and/or nonalcoholic beverage sponsorships on television, YouTube, and sports organization Web sites from 2006 to 2016, and the number of YouTube advertisement views. The nutritional quality of advertised products was assessed.

RESULTS

Youth watched telecasts associated with these sports organizations over 412 million times. These organizations had 44 food and/or nonalcoholic beverage sponsors (18.8% of sponsors), second to automotive sponsors (n = 46). The National Football League had the most food and/or nonalcoholic beverage sponsors (n = 10), followed by the National Hockey League (n = 7) and Little League (n = 7). We identified 273 advertisements that featured food and/or nonalcoholic beverage products 328 times and product logos 83 times (some advertisements showed multiple products). Seventy-six percent (n = 132) of foods had unhealthy nutrition scores, and 52.4% (n = 111) of nonalcoholic beverages were sugar-sweetened. YouTube sponsorship advertisements totaled 195.6 million views.

CONCLUSIONS

Sports sponsorships are commonly used to market unhealthy food and nonalcoholic beverages, exposing millions of consumers to these advertisements.

Community junior sport sponsorship: an online experiment assessing children’s responses to unhealthy food v. pro-health sponsorship options

Objective

To explore children’s responses to sponsorship of community junior sport by unhealthy food brands and investigate the utility of alternative, pro-health sponsorship options.

Design

Between-subjects experiment, with four sponsorship conditions: A, non-food branding (control); B, unhealthy food branding; C, healthier food branding; D, obesity prevention campaign branding.

Setting

Online experiment conducted in schools. Participants were shown a junior sports pack for their favourite sport that contained merchandise with branding representing their assigned sponsorship condition. Participants viewed and rated the sports pack, completed a distractor task, then completed questions assessing brand awareness, brand attitudes and preference for food sponsors’ products.

Subjects

Students in grades 1 to 3 (aged 5–10 years; n 1124) from schools in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia.

Results

Compared with the control condition, there were no significant effects of unhealthy food branding on awareness of, attitudes towards or preference for these brands. Exposure to healthier food branding prompted a significant increase in the proportion of children aware of these brands, but did not impact attitudes towards or preference for these brands. Exposure to either healthier food branding or obesity prevention campaign branding prompted a significant reduction in the proportion of children showing a preference for unhealthy food sponsor products.

Conclusions

The sponsorship of children’s sport by healthier food brands may promote awareness of these brands and healthier sponsorship branding may reduce preferences for some unhealthy food products. Establishing and implementing healthy sponsor criteria in sports clubs could forge healthier sponsorship arrangements and help phase out unhealthy food and beverage sponsors.

Children's implicit recall of junk food, alcohol and gambling sponsorship in Australian sport

Background

In Australia, sport is saturated by the promotion of junk food, alcohol and gambling products. This is particularly evident on player jerseys. The effect of this advertising on children, who are exposed to these messages while watching sport, has not been thoroughly investigated. The aim of this research study was to investigate: (1) the extent to which children implicitly recalled shirt sponsors with the correct sporting team; (2) whether children associated some types of sponsors with certain sporting codes more than others; and (3) whether age of the children influenced the correct recall of sponsoring brands and teams.

Method

This experimental study conducted in New South Wales, Australia used projective techniques to measure the implicit recall of team sponsorship relationships of 85 children aged 5–12 years. Participants were asked to arrange two sets of magnets – one which contained sporting teams and one which contained brand logos – in the manner deemed most appropriate by them. Children were not given any prompts relating to sporting sponsorship relationships.

Results

Three quarters (77 %) of the children were able to identify at least one correct shirt sponsor. Children associated alcohol and gambling brands more highly with the more popular sporting code, the National Rugby League compared to the Australian Football League sporting code. Results showed that age had an effect on number of shirt sponsors correctly recalled with 9–12 year olds being significantly more likely than 5–8 year olds to correctly identify team sponsors.

Conclusions

Given children’s ability to implicitly recall shirt sponsors in a sporting context, Australian sporting codes should examine their current sponsorship relationships to reduce the number of unhealthy commodity shirt sponsors. While there is some regulation that protects children from the marketing of unhealthy commodity products, these findings suggest that children are still exposed to and recall these sponsorship relationships. Results suggest that the promotion of unhealthy commodity products during sporting matches is contributing to increased awareness amongst children of unhealthy commodity brands. Further investigation is required to examine the extent and impact of marketing initiatives during televised sporting matches on children.

Unhealthy product sponsorship of Australian national and state sports organisations

ISSUE ADDRESSED

Marketing of products harmful to the health of children has been found to be prolific, and occurs across multiple media platforms and in several settings, including organised sport, thus potentially undermining the health benefits inherent in sports participation. Through website audits, this study investigated the nature and extent of unhealthy food, beverage, alcohol and gambling sponsorship across peak Australian sporting organisations.

METHODS

A structured survey tool identified and assessed sponsoring companies and products displayed on the websites of the 53 national and state/territory sport governing bodies in Australia receiving government funding. Identified products were categorised as healthy or unhealthy, based on criteria developed by health experts.

RESULTS

There was a total of 413 websites operated by the 53 sports, with 1975 company or product sponsors identified. Overall, 39 sports had at least one unhealthy sponsor, and 10% of all sponsors were rated as unhealthy. Cricket had the highest percent of unhealthy sponsors (27%) and the highest number of unhealthy food and beverage sponsors (n=19). Rugby Union (n=16) and Australian Football (n=4) had the highest numbers of alcohol and gambling sponsors respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Sponsorship of Australian sport governing bodies by companies promoting unhealthy food and beverage, alcohol and gambling products is prevalent at the state/territory and national level. SO WHAT?: Regulatory guidelines should be established to limit such sponsorship and ensure that it is not translated into promotions that may reach and influence children.

Vested interests in addiction research and policy. Alcohol brand sponsorship of events, organizations and causes in the United States, 2010-2013

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

There has been insufficient research attention to the alcohol industry's use of corporate sponsorship as a marketing tool. This paper provides a systematic investigation of the nature and extent of alcohol sponsorship-at the brand level-in the United States.

METHODS

The study examined sponsorship of organizations and events in the United States by alcohol brands from 2010 to 2013. The top 75 brands of alcohol consumed by underage drinkers were identified based on a previously conducted national internet-based survey. For each of these brands, a systematic search for sponsorships was conducted using Google. The sponsorships were coded by category and type of sponsorship.

RESULTS

We identified 945 sponsorships during the study period for the top 75 brands consumed by underage drinkers. The most popular youth brands were far more likely to engage in sponsorship and to have a higher number of sponsorships. The identified sponsorships overwhelmingly associated alcohol brands with integral aspects of American culture, including sports, music, the arts and entertainment, and drinking itself. The most popular brands among underage drinkers were much more likely to associate their brands with these aspects of American culture than brands that were less popular among underage drinkers.

CONCLUSIONS

Alcohol brand sponsorship must be viewed as a major alcohol marketing strategy that generates brand capital through positive associations with integral aspects of culture, creation of attractive brand personalities, and identification with specific market segments. Alcohol research, practice and policy should address this highly prevalent form of alcohol marketing.

Alcohol marketing in televised international football: frequency analysis

Background

Alcohol marketing includes sponsorship of individuals, organisations and sporting events. Football (soccer) is one of the most popular spectator sports worldwide. No previous studies have quantified the frequency of alcohol marketing in a high profile international football tournament. The aims were to determine: the frequency and nature of visual references to alcohol in a representative sample of EURO2012 matches broadcast in the UK; and if frequency or nature varied between matches broadcast on public service and commercial channels, or between matches that did and did not feature England.

Methods

Eight matches selected by stratified random sampling were recorded. All visual references to alcohol were identified using a tool with high inter-rater reliability.

Results

1846 visual references to alcohol were identified over 1487 minutes of broadcast - an average of 1.24 references per minute. The mean number of references per minute was higher in matches that did vs did not feature England (p = 0.004), but did not differ between matches broadcast on public service vs commercial channels (p = 0.92).

Conclusions

The frequency of visual references to alcohol was universally high and higher in matches featuring the only UK home team - England - suggesting that there may be targeting of particularly highly viewed matches. References were embedded in broadcasts, and not particular to commercial channels including paid-for advertising. New UK codes-of-conduct on alcohol marketing at sporting events will not reduce the level of marketing reported here.

Eat, drink and gamble: marketing messages about 'risky' products in an Australian major sporting series

Background

To investigate the alcohol, gambling, and unhealthy food marketing strategies during a nationally televised, free to air, sporting series in Australia.

Methods/approach

Using the Australian National Rugby League 2012 State of Origin three-game series, we conducted a mixed methods content analysis of the frequency, duration, placement and content of advertising strategies, comparing these strategies both within and across the three games.

Results

There were a total of 4445 episodes (mean = 1481.67, SD = 336.58), and 233.23 minutes (mean = 77.74, SD = 7.31) of marketing for alcoholic beverages, gambling products and unhealthy foods and non-alcoholic beverages during the 360 minutes of televised coverage of the three State of Origin 2012 games. This included an average per game of 1354 episodes (SD = 368.79) and 66.29 minutes (SD = 7.62) of alcohol marketing; 110.67 episodes (SD = 43.89), and 8.72 minutes (SD = 1.29) of gambling marketing; and 17 episodes (SD = 7.55), and 2.74 minutes (SD = 0.78) of unhealthy food and beverage marketing. Content analysis revealed that there was a considerable embedding of product marketing within the match play, including within match commentary, sporting equipment, and special replays.

Conclusions

Sport is increasingly used as a vehicle for the promotion of range of ‘risky consumption’ products. This study raises important ethical and health policy questions about the extent and impact of saturation and incidental marketing strategies on health and wellbeing, the transparency of embedded marketing strategies, and how these strategies may influence product consumption.

Health consequences of cricket - view from South Asia

Although cricket has origins in the British Empire, it is followed as a religion in South Asia, probably due to the influence of the former during their rule. The sport is equally popular among all groups of the society, and is not subject to gender or age constraints. It marks the epitome of reverence and is considered a battle for self-esteem, not only for those playing, but for those watching as well. The intensity of emotional attachment with this sport renders certain public health benefits as well as drawbacks to the general masses.

Game on: do children absorb sports sponsorship messages?

Objective

It is likely that there are substantial subconscious effects of organizations’ efforts to associate their products with sport via sponsorships, but most research methods are unable to capture these effects. The present study employed a novel projective technique to explore children's implicit associations between popular sports and a range of sports sponsors.

Design

Children participated in an activity using magnets bearing the logos of numerous sports and sponsors. They were invited to arrange the magnets on a whiteboard without being advised that the activity related to sponsorship.

Setting

Perth, Western Australia.

Subjects

Children (n 164) aged 5–12 years.

Results

Three-quarters (76 %) of the children aligned at least one correct sponsor magnet with the relevant sport. Just over half the children (54 %) correctly matched the most popular sport (an Australian Football League team) with its relevant sponsor (a fast-food chain).

Conclusions

Given the unstructured nature of the projective task, the results provide some support for the argument that sports sponsorship can effectively reach child audiences. This is of concern given the current extent of sponsorship by alcohol and fast-food companies.

Availability and marketing of food and beverages to children through sports settings: a systematic review

Objective

The current systematic review aimed to identify and critically appraise research on food environments in sports settings, including research into the types of food and beverages available, the extent and impact of food and beverage sponsorship and marketing, and views about food environments among key stakeholders.

Design

A systematic review. Fourteen English-language studies (two were papers describing different facets of the same study), published between 1985 and 2011, were identified from searches of electronic databases and bibliographies of primary studies.

Setting

Most studies originated from Australia (n 10), with the remaining studies originating in the UK (n 1), New Zealand (n 1), the USA (n 1) and Canada (n 1). Data were collected from observations in stadia, websites and televised sports events, through in-depth interviews, focus groups and surveys with sports club members, parents and quick serve restaurant managers.

Results

Literature exploring food environments in sports settings was limited and had some important methodological limitations. No studies comprehensively described foods available at clubs or stadia, and only one explored the association between food and beverage sponsorship and club incomes. Club policies focused on the impact of health promotion funding rather than the impact of sponsorship or food availability in sports settings.

Conclusions

Further research, including comprehensive studies of the food environment in sports settings, is required to document the availability, sponsorship and marketing of food and beverages at national, regional and club levels and to estimate how sports settings may influence children's diets.

Using a legal and regulatory framework to identify and evaluate priorities for cancer prevention

This paper presents a framework for identifying legal and regulatory interventions for the prevention of risk factors for cancer at the population level. The framework has wider application for behavioural risk factors for other non-communicable diseases. It is based on four different types of assessment: identifying the determinants of cancer and key settings for interventions; reviewing the key strategies that law can deploy; considering the most appropriate level for interventions within federal systems; and considering the role of law within a broader set of public health responses that includes voluntary standards, co-regulation, outcome-based regulation and more technical, prescriptive controls. The paper argues that law is an important tool for preventing the burden of disease from cancer. It then uses the framework to evaluate the current status of regulatory strategies for cancer prevention and to identify law reform priorities, taking Australia as a case study. The paper illustrates the application of the model at the country level by making extensive use of Australian evidence and published research. However, the methodology presented, the regulatory issues discussed, the evidence cited and the law reform priorities identified will be relevant to other countries with a substantial burden from cancer and non-communicable diseases.