ABSTRACT
In The Politics of Health Education [1] Naido gives an inclusive definition of health promotion: ‘Health promotion includes a range of methods from personal education, mass media, advertising, preventative health services and community development, to organizational developments and economic and regulatory activities.’ Health promotion is not the same as health education. Health promotion is broader and wider. It includes personal education and it also includes regulatory activities. This latter point is important because there is still misunderstanding about it and a tendency among some to see the regulatory or enforcement duties as the environmental health officer’s ‘proper’ job and health promotion as something that can be done if time and resources are available. In terms of the Naido definition, enforcement and education are both important parts of health promotion. Put another way, it would be foolish to pursue a vigorous inspection and prosecution programme and ignore the fact that much food poisoning stems from poor understanding of food hygiene principles. Advancing food hygiene and safety needs to take both elements into account. Enforcement and education complement each other.
