The commercial determinants of health in Ireland: fueling an industrial epidemic at home and abroad

More than half of deaths in Ireland are caused by four harmful commodities: tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels, and unhealthy foods (Table 1). Commercial actors, through mechanisms that make these commodities artificially cheap, hyper-convenient, and seductively attractive, are a key driver for ill-health. The cumulative effects of these commercial vectors have been described in a landmark Series on the Commercial Determinants of Health (CDoH) by the eminent medical journal The Lancet in 2023.1 Here, we reflect on the findings and recommendations from the Series in the context of Ireland.