A new article originally published by The Guardian has highlighted the risks associated with allowing the food, drink, and gambling industries to sponsor school materials.
According to the publication, these materials were usually a conduit of false narratives that sought to influence vulnerable minds and predispose them to certain products.
Materials backed by industries fail to properly address dangers
Responding to this, numerous public health specialists, doctors, and charities have urged Bridget Phillipson, Minister for Women and Equalities of the United Kingdom, to assist with removing such materials – i.e., the ones sponsored by the aforementioned industries – from the school curriculum.
A coalition of 58 health experts has pronounced itself against the practice of having industry-sponsored materials that they believe misrepresent core facts about health.
Those concerned have expressed qualms about the way certain facts are represented in the school materials – for example, that pupils can "gamble responsibly" or that there is a right way of pouring a glass of wine, rather than focusing on the far worse consequences that could stem from engaging in these activities.
Those involved in criticizing the school materials include the British Medical Association, the World Cancer Research Fund, and the Obesity Health Alliance, all of which have lambasted the so-called "corporate reach" that these industries have in the school curriculum.
"The evidence is clear. Industries whose products are undermining the health and well-being of children and young people fund harmful youth education programmes as part of their corporate strategies," said Dr May van Schalkwyk from the University of Edinburgh.
Promoting "responsible gambling" or raising awareness about the issue
According to The Guardian, citing the health experts, Gamble Aware allegedly came up with "educational materials that promote the industry-favored idea of responsible gambling."
GambleAware, though, has maintained that any materials and activities circulated in schools were meant to act as a deterrent and to raise awareness about the dangers of gambling-related harm, rather than try to explain the dangers associated with the gambling industry.
